When I was a young adult, there was an event called “Take your Daughter to Work Day.”
I don’t know if the practice is still ongoing, but I remember my dad taking me to visit NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center, where he works as a physical scientist for the Naval Oceanographic office. Basically, he works in anti-submarine warfare, which I think is pretty cool.
The point of the excursion was for young women to not only see what their parents do for a living, but also to explore different career fields.
From birth, my dad took me to visit the space center and some of my fondest memories include eating space ice cream and visiting with his co-workers, some of who still live here in Pearl River County.
Although the majority of his work is top secret, I still gained a glimpse into the inner workings of NASA and NAVO.
During high school, I joined the Hancock Medical Center Medical Explorers program.
Once a month, a group of us met at the hospital dressed in our medical scrubs and visited a different part of the hospital. I went to the radiology department and learned about X-rays and the emergency room, where I witnessed a doctor stitch a patient’s sliced finger.
My favorite department was labor and delivery. I got to visit with the new moms and their tiny newborns.
I learned a lot during these experiences. Although I think what my dad does is very interesting, I had no interest in pursuing a science-related career. After watching a man getting his finger stitched, I realized a career in the medical field might not be the right fit for me. I give all my respect to the nurses and doctors who dedicate their lives to taking care of others.
We all choose different careers and complete a variety of tasks each day that people don’t know about or see.
For instance, I’ve never worked for an insurance company, a retail store or a restaurant, so it would be silly of me to walk in and tell someone how to do their job, when I have no idea what their job requires of them.
Participating in these activities not only helped me decide my own career path, but also provided me insight into other careers. I think it would be a good idea for everyone to spend one day in another field of work in order to gain a better understanding of what it takes for people to perform their jobs.