Annual Car Show gives Career Services students a chance to engage with the public
Several programs were represented during the Annual Car Show
Leilani Wilkerson has always enjoyed working on hair. The senior from Harrison plans on making a career as a stylist out of that love, which is what led her to enroll in the Cosmetology program at the Center for Career Services.
On Sunday, Wilkerson was one of several students who worked throughout the Annual Car Show & Open House. She operated a table where visitors to the event could stop by and have their hair braided.
“It’s fun to work with hair and work with kids and make their hair look cute,” Wilkerson said while braiding the hair of a young girl. “It's a great experience for me to work with people, and it’s a great experience for them as well.”Student participation has long been a hallmark of the Car Show, which was presented in partnership with the Rock N’ Rods Car Club of Yonkers. Dozens of colorful, antique cars and trucks lined the driveway and a parking lot on campus, connecting the school community with community members from throughout Westchester County.
In addition to Cosmetology, the Emergency Medical Services, Culinary Arts, TV & Video Production, Sound Production and Automotive Technology programs were represented during the event.
“This is extra practice for me of the things I’ve been learning,” Wilkerson said. “It’s an opportunity to see how I work with clients.”
She wasn’t the only student gaining first-hand experience. Six EMS students, for example, were on hand to provide blood pressure screenings; they sent their visiting patients home with information on the results of the screening and what those results meant for their overall health.
“It’s really valuable for our students to interact with the general public — with strangers who they don’t know,” said Robert Del Greco, the school’s EMS teacher. “They can get used to seeing certain outcomes when they are only working with other students.”
For their part, TV/Video Production and Sound Production students conducted interviews and filmed footage of the event. The Culinary Arts program provided refreshments for guests, while Automotive Technology students assisted with evaluating the cars on display.
“At an event like this, we get to showcase a little bit of what we do here at our school,” Principal Jaclyn De Lao said. “Our students have the opportunity to be a part of a special day with the community. An important part of career and technical education is to go out in the workforce and earn experience like this outside of the classroom.”
