EDWARDSBURG — Every student will go down their own path, which will hopefully lead them toward a successful and fulfilling career.

Some know from a young age exactly what they want to be when they grow up, while others might change their majors several times throughout college. No matter how straight or winding that path may be, Edwardsburg Public Schools encourages its students to begin thinking about their careers at a young age. That way, they are better prepared to handle any career twists and turns.

For many Edwardsburg students, the journey down their path began the morning of Friday, Feb. 23, as seventh-grade students participated in the annual Edwardsburg Middle School career day.

“The state wants seventh-graders to start to think about their future, knowing full well that they’re going to change their minds a whole lot,” said Jackie Carter, the guidance counselor at EMS.

“A lot of times, they start career searches and it always mystifies me how many kids want to be marine biologists when they are in the seventh grade at Edwardsburg. I always ask, ‘what interests you in with this particular career?’”

The day began with a speech from the featured speaker, Kristin Bien, anchor of WSBT 22 First in the Morning Saturday and Sunday. After that, students were broken up into groups and went to different classrooms to hear presentations from a variety of speakers with different career paths.

Students were in a classroom for 55 minutes (the normal length of a class period), and heard from two different speakers in each room. Just after 11 a.m., the career day finished and students resumed their normal schedule.

“Michigan has six major career pathways, so we try to choose speakers that represent each of those pathways,” Carter said.

The six career pathway are arts and communication; business, management, marketing and technology; engineering, manufacturing and industrial technology; health services; human services and natural resources and agriscience.

“It helps kids to start thinking about if they are interested in human services, then they are going to [learn] something about that,” Carter said. “Or if they are interested in becoming a physician, they’ll have someone who can tell them what that career is like. We’ve got people representing all different walks of life.”

In total, the career day at Edwardsburg had 13 in-class presenters:

• Chef John Ruemenapp, Harper Creek Public Schools

• Chef Terence Barnes, Battle Creek Public School

• Marcy Dean, director, Potawatomi Zoological Society

• Scott Wyman, director, Cass County Parks and Recreation

• Dr. Bob Oppman, physician, Granger Family Medicine

• Lance Lyons, Lyons Industries

• Dr. Sharon Stack, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, University of Notre Dame

• Dr. David Visser, veterinarian, Center for Animal Health

• Dr. Ravosa, professor of biological sciences, University of Notre Dame

• Amy Anderson, director, Marcellus Volinia Outcomes

• Deputy Makenzie Kreiner, community liaison, Cass County Sheriff’s Department

• Kevin Dean, athletic director, Edwardsburg Public Schools

• David Szlanfucht, owner and director, JR Fox Jewelers

Many of the presenters have or had students enrolled in Edwardsburg Public Schools. Amy Anderson is a member of the school board and a former student in the school system.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Anderson said. “I have a vested interest. I live in Edwardsburg, and I want to see these kids succeed.”