Posted: 1/22/03

Students explore career options

Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Students mulling their future beyond high school were given time last week to explore a number of options and hear from men and women working in the field.

The annual Forest Lake High School Career Focus Day on Jan. 15 attracted 25 professionals covering a wide range of occupations and professions. Hundreds of students took part during the option hour program.

Seniors Molly Becker and Rachel Oberg-Hauser were two of the students who listened to Ted Arbiterís talk on television-video broadcasting. Arbiter is a supervisor with Suburban Community Channels, a public access division of the Ramsey-Washington Counties Cable Commission.

Arbiter owns a communication degree at the University of Minnesota and stressed the importance of education as a vital step in the process of cultivating an income generating career. The line between education and income can not be underestimated, he said.

In looking at TV and video broadcasting as a career, Arbiter said many avenues could be found.

In any career pursuit, Arbiter urged the students to follow the principles of ìTODDî in making a career work ó talent, opportunity, diligence and determination.

ìThatís what going to make it happen for you,î he said, pointing to the principles of TODD.

Arbiter downplayed the role of luck in career selection.

ìItís (luck) the residue of hard work,î Arbiter said. ìYou make your luck happen.î

Time well spent

Becker and Oberg-Hauser both said they found the Arbiter presentation helpful. Both are undecided about their career plans, but said the session gave them answers.

ìItís something Iíve been interested in,î Oberg-Hauser said after the TV-video broadcasting session. The session will be helpful as she prepares for college.

Oberg-Hauser has heard first hand the radio side of career options from her mother, Cynthia, an assistant producer at Minnesota Public Radio.

The session with Arbiter gave her a look at the TV side, she said.

Becker, who will head to Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD, next fall said the idea of a career in TV or video was reinforced by the short course on Jan. 15.

ìI was really curious,î Becker said of the career field. ìI didnít know much about it. I wanted to know how to do it.î

Becker said she appreciated the chance to hear Arbiter. ìItís nice to have these options,î she said.

Looking back on his high school days, Arbiter said he didnít have such programs. He believes they would have been helpful in his early years.

The time to get the message across to kids was short at just 40 minutes, he said. But even in a short time period, Arbiter said if he was able to help one student in career choice, the time was well spent.

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