People from all walks of life visited Park Avenue Memorial Elementary School on Nov. 3 to give students a glimpse of the future. More than three dozen professionals visited classrooms at the 10th annual Career Day.

Many of the speakers were parents of Park Avenue students while others came from local businesses. The school partnered with the Amityville Chamber of Commerce and Amityville Parent-Teacher Council to bring in presenters. The guests represented a variety of professions including law enforcement, the military, business and finance, medicine, engineering, human resources and retail. 

The speakers discussed the responsibilities and challenges of their jobs, as well as the necessary qualifications to work in their respective fields. They also took questions from the curious students. 

Guidance counselor Kimberly Balducci, who organized the event, said that although the students are only in fourth through sixth grades, it is never too early for them to start thinking about their futures. By interacting with successful professionals, children understand the importance of education and recognize that working hard in school can positively affect their ability to achieve their goals. 

The event was the culmination of College and Career Week, which began with a kickoff assembly on Oct. 30. Keynote speaker Felicia Fleitman from Savvy Hires motivated students with four important messages: the word “can’t” should not exist in their vocabulary, failure is an opportunity, there is no substitute for hard work, and be a good person.