Not every high school students knows what they want to do when they grow up. But every year, thanks to a unique collaboration between Beaufort County Schools, the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce, PotashCorp-Aurora and many business owners and local officials, some of them get to try a career out for a day to see if it fits.

Over 50 high-school sophomores recently participated in the Chamber’s Job Shadow Day, in which students are mentored by community leaders and get some hands-on experience with the job of their choice.

“Healthcare continued to be a main interest for students, and through a partnership with Vidant Beaufort Hospital, many students were able to see first-hand experiences working in healthcare,” said Chamber Business Manager Robin McKeithan, adding that students from all over the county participated in wide array of career fields.

In previous years, the Washington Police Department has hosted several students at a time, said WPD’s spokesman Lt. William Chrismon. This year, he and WPD Director Stacy Drakeford gave a behind-the-scenes view of what it’s like to work in law enforcement—working with patrol officers, with investigators, learning how to do some of the technical aspects of investigation, like lifting fingerprints and identifying different controlled substances with reagent kits.

“We do a lot in a short amount of time,” Chrismon said. “I think it’s really goo that kids can just walk in here and take a look. It’s not what they see on TV. Sometimes these kids actually see what it’s about and say ‘I think I want to do something else,’ but some of them come in here and say, ‘Wow, this is really what I want to do.’”

Other Beaufort County students got a first-hand look at how local government runs, too.

According to Beaufort County Manager Randell Woodruff, his two students were really engaged in the inner workings of the county, an inclination he actively encourages in young people.

“I talked to them about job opportunities and encouraged them to consider jobs in local government,” Woodruff said. “Local government doesn’t tend to get promoted at the college level as much as state or federal, but many local jobs pay better salaries and have better benefits than state or federal.”

Woodruff also said working at the local level can be a much more satisfying prospect because it’s easier to see the benefits of projects and a difference being made. He and Assistant County Manager Jim Chrisman gave their two students a review of county government and the various departments, as well as a brief meeting with three Beaufort County Commissioners.

“So many kids don’t what local government is, but these kids were really interested,” Woodruff said.

For McKeithan, and the Chamber, Job Shadow Day, is just another way to put high school students on their right path at little early, she said.

Participating mentors in this year’s Job Shadow Day included 13 separate departments at Vidant Beaufort Hospital, as well as the Marion L. Shepard Cancer Center, Pamlico Animal Hospital, Dr. Marcus Jones with Howdy, Howdy & Jones, Goose Creek State Park, Washington Pediatrics, Washington Police Department, Beaufort County Community College, City of Washington, Beaufort County Schools, Chocowinity Veterinary Hospital, Dr. Jeff Rumley, First Baptist Church, Roy Parker with Edward Jones Investments, Beaufort County Government, District Attorney Seth Edwards and Mayo & Mayo Attorneys.