Harding students ready to hit the road
Careers of the 21st century are increasingly mobile and Thursday were vividly illustrated at Harding Elementary School’s inaugural Careers on Wheels.
Lagina Young, event organizer and reading resource teacher aimed to expose students to a variety of careers. Nearly 20 agencies that rely upon vehicles to perform routine tasks arrived on campus, including law enforcement to first responders.
“We want students to learn the value of education needed to attain these occupations,” she said. “The sky’s the limit as long as they apply themselves.”
Mario Miramon, sixth-grade teacher, remarked it was an incredible event spotlighting varied professions.
“It provided a sense of knowing where their future may lie,” he said. “The highlight was watching the REACH helicopter land. I think the whole school came out to watch.”
What REACH Air Medical Services primarily does is transfers patients to a higher level of care facility, explained Jesus Rubio, a registered nurse. Also describing duties were paramedic Eric Hiroaka and pilot Randy Ortega, noting they often assist other agencies such as the U.S. Border Patrol agents or Bureau of Land Management officers.
“Generally, we can provide life-saving measures that any local emergency room would do,” said Rubio.
Offering tours of a 25-foot jet boat was county Sheriff’s Office Deputy Alfonso Luquin, who is assigned to the Boating Enforcement Safety Team. Its main purpose is to educate vessel operators to run crafts safely.
“We also enforce boating laws and help people in need with disabled vessels and medical emergencies,” he said. “We’d like students to know there is more to law enforcement than street patrol … and it can be a lot of fun.”
Demonstrating proper fit of a nozzle to a fire hose was Scott Roberts, firefighter from El Centro Fire Department station No. 1. The nozzle adjusts for stream, straight or fog pattern and can dial down water pressure to conserve water.
The event also hoped to instill students with a new perspective of law enforcement, noted Michael Bobbit, fourth-grade teacher.
“We hope they learn not to fear officers because they’re here to help us,” he said. “It definitely gets kids excited about potential careers.”
One popular professional with students relied not on wheels as much as hooves. Horse barrel racer Savanah Mamer competes in the Turquoise Circuit ProRodeo in Arizona on quarter horses. She advised students to always approach a horse slowly and calmly.
“It’s a lot of hard work (racing), but anything’s possible if you commit,” she said.
Thoroughly charged up after hearing about National Youth Project Using Minibikes, sixthgrade student Seth Johnson insisted he will definitely inform his mother of his interest.
“I’ve ridden a dirt bike,” he recalled. “Bikes are exciting, but you can’t have any fear.”
Certified National Youth Project Using Minibikes instructor John Bonano noted they have partnered with Honda America which provides 15 motorcycles from 70cc to 150cc.
“We also take students fishing and hiking,” said Bonano. “But we also show them there’s a time to play and time to work and there’s a balance between the two. So we engage girls and boys to help the community with desert clean up, graffiti abatement and give back to the community.”