It's Just Lunch

Upper School students were invited to attend Career Lunch and Learn events, in which parent volunteers from various fields spoke about their work and educational backgrounds and answered questions from students.

If Upper School students wanted to learn more about a particular career or industry this past school year, they didn't have to go far—just up one flight of stairs to the Stratton Upper School Library, where they could eat lunch in a casual setting with professionals representing various fields. Hosted by USM's Internship and Shadowing Committee with support from the Parents' Association, each Career Lunch and Learn event featured parent volunteers from different fields, including corporate law and litigation, entrepreneurship, engineering, business, and medicine.

The volunteers share their educational backgrounds, career journeys, and serendipitous events that led to where they are today; answered questions; described a typical work day; and gave advice.

For Dalia Chairez '24, who is considering a career in law, the corporate law and litigation lunch provided valuable first-hand information as she prepares for college. "I could ask questions like, 'Should I major in pre-law or something else?' There were just a lot of things that I didn't know and it was really helpful to get those answers," she said. "I really got a lot out of it."

In addition to the Career Lunch and Learn events, the Internship and Shadowing Committee hosted a resumé-writing workshop for 25 Upper School students in which parent volunteers helped students write resumés and conduct mock job interviews.

Lunch and Learn Volunteers

Corporate Law and Litigation

• James Barton, founder and owner, Barton Cerjak S.C.
• Carina Barton, senior privacy counsel, U.S. and Canada Privacy Leaders at GE Healthcare

Entrepreneurship 

• Randy Knaflic, advisor and investor
• Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic, CEO, storytelling with data

Engineering

• Jerry King '92, president, Precast Engineering Company

Business

• Keri Sarajian, global head of innovation, S.C. Johnson's Global Consumer Brands Business Unit

Medicine

• Dr. Azita Hamedani, chair, Department of Emergency Medicine at University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Dr. Rick Strickroot, urgent care physician with ProHealth Care