Graduates Show and Tell at Career Day

Alumni spanning decades and professions returned to Parker to give Upper School students ideas and insight into working life beyond the classroom.

Producer and writer of Booksmart (2019), Celeste & Jesse Forever (2012) and Black-ish (2014) Sarah Haskins ’97 opened the event as a keynote speaker. She spoke about the profound influence of her Parker experience personally and professionally. She also discussed specific experiences and people at Parker who helped bring out the best in her, recalling that her first attempt at screenwriting came about by helping a desperate peer complete their Independent Study in screenwriting. Haskins encouraged students to embrace happy accidents and approach the world, new experiences and people with an open mind.

Following the keynote, students rotated through two sessions of breakout groups where they engaged directly with alumni who have jobs in specific fields, including advertising, education, engineering, entrepreneurship, finance, healthcare, law, marketing, public affairs, journalism and more. Each alum elaborated on their individual journey following graduation from Parker and detailed the college and professional experiences that helped shape the trajectory of their current career path. Talk of internships, real-world experience and the exchange of contact information punctuated these gatherings, giving students a sense of their next steps.

Career Day culminated with alumni sharing their combined expertise with all Upper School students through a panel discussion in the Heller Auditorium. Upper School student leaders helped facilitate questions on topics ranging from each alum’s personal experience at Parker, guidance on college activities and advice about entering the job market in the next five to seven years. More than one alum shared ways that their college experience helped them realize and appreciate the level of skill, knowledge and knowhow embodied by Parker faculty members. One alum remarked that, in her entire experience at Duke, she never experienced teachers like those at Parker.

Upper School students appreciated this opportunity to learn more about the world of career options that await beyond college and make connections with Parker graduates who might help make a difference in their future.

Enjoy photos from Career Day here.