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Marjory Stoneman Douglas Seniors Launch ‘Discover Your Future’ Initiative to Empower Peers with Career Skills

by David Volz November 30, 2023

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Marjory Stoneman Douglas Seniors Launch 'Discover Your Future' Initiative to Empower Peers with Career Skills

Lisa Webster, Sharon Cutler, Stephanie Bilsky, Gracyn Haynes, Irma Parone, and Cal Miller. {courtesy}

By David Volz

As high school graduation approaches, many young people feel uncertain about their future plans.

Gracyn Haynes and Stephanie Bilsky, who are both seniors and members of the DECA chapter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, founded “Discover Your Future,” an organization affiliated with DECA, to help their classmates and other young people in the community learn about the process of seeking jobs and pursuing careers. They aim to guide and support the younger generation, who are just starting to explore their career options.

“It has been fulfilling for me to help other students learn about resume building and getting a job,” said Haynes. “Some students were unable to be part of DECA, and we have been able to help them.”

On Wednesday, December 6, Discover Your Future will hold a major event, a career fair at Office Evolution of Coral Springs, from 5:15 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at 3301 North University Drive. Attendees can meet with professionals from various industries and discuss future careers.

“The point is to have these high school students become excited about their future and discover what careers they would be interested in. It is a great chance for students to network and gain internships. There will be a resume review section for students to have someone look over their resume,” said Haynes.

Jason Daniels with HCA Healthcare made a presentation about resume building during a workshop in October. {courtesy}

Over the past two months, they conducted two events – a resume-building workshop in October and a “social media for business” workshop in November. During the resume-building workshop, attendees learned tips and tricks to create an effective resume. Participants were taught about business social media and LinkedIn in the November workshop.

The first workshop had Jason Daniels with HCA’s Human Resources Department, and the second had two speakers who worked in marketing.

“We had over 20 local high school students at each workshop who said they feel more confident about their futures after attending the workshop,” said Haynes.

This project began as a way to develop high school students’ career preparatory skills. Haynes and Bilsky credit their DECA advisors Mitchell Albert, Sharon Cutler, and Lisa Webster, as well as a DECA student committee, for their work in creating the project.

The goal is to spread foundational career preparation skills, which include resume building, networking, answering interview questions, and LinkedIn profiles.

“These skills have given us a head start towards our futures and obtaining a career,” said Haynes. “We wanted to take what we have learned and expand it to those in our community who lack these skills. It is our mission to help others discover their future as well.”

To sign up, visit Discover Your Future Career Fair.

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Author Profile

David Volz

David Volz has worked as a writer in South Florida for 35 years. He has written for the Sun-Sentinel, Hollywood Gazette, School Transportation News, South Dade News Leaders, Observer among others. He has an MA in Communications from Florida Atlantic University and a BA in Communications from Valparaiso University. Volz teaches Communications at Miami Dade College and Palm Beach State College. He lives in Coral Springs and enjoys running and participating in 5Ks and half-marathons.