“See It to Be It”: How One Class Is Shaping Futures at Marietta High School

When students have the chance to connect with industry professionals, the sky is the limit.

Written By: Josie Jeffery, Marietta High School Intern

Marietta High School boasts a unique course required of all students: the career class. For a full semester, the students learn ways to improve their career-readiness skills, doing everything from building a resume to job shadowing at any business or organization they choose. 

  The class, taught by Mr. Steve Parlin, has seen lots of success in recent years.  Upon speaking to Mr. Parlin, he said that the class was like a travel agency- helping people plan for their future destinations when they might not know where to start or what to prepare for.

  On the topic of the mandatory job shadow, Mr. Parlin thinks it is crucial for kids to “see it to be it,” or get a behind-the-scenes look at potential careers before putting in the work to pursue them.  Students agree that the job shadows were helpful, and whether the experience reinforced or dissuaded them from their aspirations, the lessons learned were crucial to deciding their next steps. 

 Isabella Salazar, a Senior at Marietta High School, did her job shadow at Frye Dental and is now planning to pursue a career in the field. Jeremy Clift, a high school junior, shadowed in the Astronomy Department at Marietta College, which showed him that he can “take math and put it into real-life situations,” something he’s always loved.  He now aspires to be an Aerospace Engineer. 

Taking the careers class at Marietta High School is a great experience, both out on the field and in the classroom.  Mr. Parlin’s last word of advice for anyone in any sort of career is to “make it easy for people to brag about you.”