On December 6, Gorham High School (GHS) hosted its first Future Stories Day, organized by faculty member Janis Weed, with the support of principal Brian Jandreau, Superintendent Heather Perry, Adam Parvanta, and more.
Weed was inspired to hold the event when she witnessed the benefits of showing high school students the inner workings of businesses in the nearby community. She and other staff members wanted to introduce students to these different types of careers because “any exposure and opportunities we can give our students to prepare for the future is beneficial,” said Weed.
The process of pulling the event together was complicated. A date had to be selected, presenters had to be contacted, and they had to figure out where the 40 plus presenters were going to park. Communication was essential.
Photo credit Janis WeedPeter Herring, Maine Game Warden, is pictured with GHS junior Hannah Lowell during GHS’ inaugural Future Stories Day event.
The presenters were selected after students at GHS completed a survey designating what career fields interested them the most. The team at GHS reached out to the community, staff, alumni, and used other resources to invite the presenters.
On the day of the event, students attended individual sessions of their choice. In addition, two grades at a time attended a 90-minute session with GHS alum and Gorham business owner Shawn Moody, who discussed his childhood experiences, what it means to be successful, and the importance of giving back to the community.
The event was a huge success, with each presenter putting a great deal of time and effort into working with GHS every step of the way. Jandreau noted the significance of the day, hoping that “students left the day with a better sense as to what they might want to do after high school and what they might need to do to prepare.”