Teenagers see career options on display at the Capitol

By St. Clair Murraine
Outlook Staff Writer

A little bit of irony played out at the Capitol. 

At a time when there is seemingly a push for high school students to consider careers that don’t require a college degree, a group of teenagers from across Florida got a chance to see some of their options.

The Small Business Development Center of Florida brought it right under their noses. At the same time that the agency celebrated Small Business Day at the Capitol, the teenagers were culminating Children’s Week.

In addition to getting a peek at career possibilities, thousands of young people spent the week meeting lawmakers and hearing about the affects of bullying. They also participated in the traditional a scavenger hunt and hanging of the hands.

The week’s activities gave the young people a front row seat that allowed them to see career possibilities in public service and business. The stage was set for them by the Children’s Forum. 

“Sometimes people just need someone to believe in them and give them the tools,” said Erin Smeltzer, president/CEO of the Children’s Forum. “They have big dreams and hopefully that dream and that fire that’s burning will come up today and they will see that things aren’t as far off as they think.

“We want kids to know that their dreams could become a reality. These are some of the small steps so kids can see not only who they are but who they can become.”

Some of the young people got an opportunity to hear from SBDC executives how small businesses benefit the economy. The SBDC Day is an annual occurrence to give lawmakers a view at what the agency does, but it doesn’t always lined up with Children’s Week like it did last Wednesday. 

“We are happy to have the kids on the courtyard today to let them see first-hand some of these entrepreneurs; let them see and understand that this could be an avenue that they go down in life,” said Bridget LaCoste, events and stakeholders manager for the SBDC.

Many of the children who spent most of last week at the Capitol found it energizing to be around hundreds of adults who share interest in their wellbeing, said Smeltzer. She added that the Forum provides an after-school program that gives the young people resources, including an entrepreneur program.

Lilly Murphy heads up the Forum’s after-school program as its executive director. All of the children who took part in the week of activities will be encouraged to maintain contact with the Forum, she said.

“We believe the youths feel empowered to have their voices heard,” she said. “They have learned a little bit about civic engagement in the process so that they can take back what they’ve learned and engaged actively in their communities. If there are things they are interested in getting involved with we have some programming opportunities in different spaces.”