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DOWAGIAC — Southwestern  Michigan College’s career-exploration Futures Fair Sept. 25 was designed to help SMC students discover academic programs and career pathways.

This year’s theme, “Choose Your Adventure,” encouraged students to take actionable steps toward advancing career goals.

The expo featured representatives from six key industries who provided insight into skills and qualifications needed to enter their fields.

Students had the chance to learn about unique professional-development opportunities, such as company tours, job shadowing, mock interviews and even work experience.

In today’s rapidly-evolving workforce, technology plays a critical role. SMC’s Office of Career Development asked each industry representative to highlight how technology is transforming their fields, ensuring students are aware of technical skills necessary for success.

“Planning is a really important part to being successful,” Career Development Manager Melinda Stockwell said. “If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail. Careful preparation and support from others sets you up to be successful.”

Six stations were arrayed around the Student Activity Center for business, social sciences, creative fields, math/science, health services and advanced technology.

American Electric Power, Big C Lumber (represented by 2018 SMC graduate Shawnee Roy), C Wimberley Automotive Group, Corewell Health, Flowers Early Learning (formerly Tri-County Head Start), Lyons Industries, Michigan Works, Midwest Energy and Communications (MEC), Mid-West Family radio stations and Southwestern Michigan Community Ambulance Service (SMCAS) served as specialists.

At health services, for example, nursing faculty, including Dean Dr. Melissa Kennedy, Athletic Trainer Elise Bancroft, Stryker and Niles-based SMCAS, with satellite stations providing ambulance service to Dowagiac and Cassopolis, shared space.

Stryker’s device automating cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was demonstrated.

Nick Bogen studied meteorology at Central Michigan University, then got into geographic information systems development at MEC in Cassopolis, working with drones.

Wimberley Service Manager Kenny Hintz said, “We’re always looking to grow in-house talent who will show up for work. I have an SMC graduate who’s working on getting all of his ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certifications. I’m seeing his confidence build with more under his belt.

“There are other routes in the automotive industry besides working on cars. I’ve worked in customer service for a long time, but grew up spending summers at my uncle’s shop in Kokomo doing oil changes so I could pay for repairs to my dirt bike. I grew up around guys working on cars, but in the next 10-15 years, I’ll need more IT guys than hard-nosed mechanics. A check-engine light can be one of 500 things.”

Co-founded in 1968 by longtime SMC Board of Trustees Vice Chairman Dale A. Lyons, with plumbing vents for mobile homes, Lyons in the ’70s bought a vacuum former and started producing bathtub surrounds, with robots spraying fiberglass to strengthen products.

The “pathway to power” at AEP converges from all angles, whether engineering, technical trades, finance, customer care or “something that doesn’t fit neatly under a label.”

Wednesday’s representative came out of environmental studies. “Drones configure lines as they go over a community,” he said. “Technology is used in advance of power lines going in before they are actually developed, designed, engineered and constructed.

“My passion is the environment,” he said. “I was involved in conservation and resource studies in college. After I got my degree, I became involved with doing groundwater samples. From there, I got involved with regulatory compliance, and I found this field more than seven years later and now I’m in permitting, working with the Army Corps of Engineers, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), formerly the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality or DEQ.

“Others majored in communications, construction or forestry. We have a forestry department that specifically trims trees for upcoming power lines. The sky’s the limit for getting your foot in the door.”

Radio host Jonny Reinhardt studied theatre for his 2012 SMC degree and still sings with David Carew’s Chorllennium.

Mid-West Family owns and operates a dozen stations between St. Joseph, Benton Harbor and South Haven, Mich., and South Bend/Elkhart, Ind.

Reinhardt hosts and serves as program director WYTZ (Y Country, 97.5 FM), moving over from the news/talk/sports station (WSJM-FM, 94.9). Reinhardt also teaches broadcasting at New Buffalo High School.

Chairman Cody Miller promoted his new department, CAMS (Communications and Media Studies), which incorporates graphic design and visual arts with English.

Where there were two paths, literature and creative writing, they combined to experience both for an Associate in Arts transfer degree.