High school juniors get ‘Life Ready’ at annual conference

Lawton Public School high school juniors got career ready with the annual Life Ready Conference & Career Fair Tuesday morning at Lawton First Assembly Church, 2201 NW 82nd.

A career ready conference exclusively for high school juniors in Lawton, the conference offered students ways to better prepare themselves for life while showcasing the many in demand careers in Southwest Oklahoma. There was also a career fair for interested students with vendors such as the Lawton Public Library, Great Plains Technology Center, Goodyear and different branches of the military.

“We have 17 sessions of life ready workshops for developing skills with artificial intelligence (AI), social media and banking, which would include mortgages, loans, cars, how to buy or purchase a car,” Doug Brown, Assistant Superintendent of LPS said. “We have the career fair that’s going on at the same time. We have 41 local businesses in the Lawton community that have partnered up with us to set up a booth. They’re just giving an introduction to these students about possible careers.”

There are plans for expansion.

“Our plan is to grow this program in the next few years and incorporate it down into the middle school level and even open it up to other districts,” Brown said.

Emma Kirby, a junior at MacArthur High was excited about what she learned.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Kirby said. “I feel like it’s made everyone very ambitious.”

She aspires to go to school for computer science. The conference helped with that.

“I just finished up with Hospitality and The Future of AI sessions,” Kirby said. “They’re really interesting. The AI session really helped me develop my knowledge of AI, different ways to use it to my advantage and how it will help develop everyone’s future. I learned a lot about different AI engines that I can use and different ways to use it. In the Hospitality one, I learned a lot about different communication skills and people skills that are required for the workspace as you grow older.”

Why computer science?

“Computer science has been something that I’ve always been passionate about growing up,” Kirby said. “I’ve started taking computer classes in seventh grade and since then, I’ve realized how well the career will be whenever I get to college.”

The most exciting session she’s looking forward to is Entrepreneurship.

“I feel like I haven’t really learned a lot about what it takes to start a business and the different ways in your mind of wanting to start the business,” Kirby said.

Braeden Burrell, a junior at Lawton High, wants to play college sports. If that doesn’t work out, medical school will do.

“I always grew up playing sports,” Burrell said. “But if sports don’t work, I always wanted to be an ultrasound tech.”

He appreciates the conference either way.

“I feel like it’s really good to have all the students from every school here,” Burrell said. “I feel it’s a good way to know what you’re going to do after high school.”

What did he learn?

“I learned most of the do’s and don’ts of social media, like cyber bullying, what to post, what not to post,” Burrell said. “I feel like the things that you do in this conference will help you and your goals. In college, people say stuff like the do’s and don’ts and instead of reacting on social media, we just stay there and just be humble.”

Burrell is looking forward to the many career opportunities available to him.

“Just learning about what careers I didn’t know of or what careers I want to go to, but never had interest in it,” Burrell said.

“I know I’ll be able to find a good job,” Kirby said.