Your Next Move

I spent yesterday morning at the Broward Convention Center for the "Your Next Move" event.  High school seniors across the county were bussed in to talk to those of us assembled there--and what a varied assembly we were.

I saw a wide variety of colleges, of course.  But there were also industries that were hiring.  We weren't far from the Broward Sheriff's Department table, which got lots of interest.  Across from us was a construction company and behind us a waste management company.  In short, it was a mix of schools and groups that need to hire young people who were there.

The young people were a varied group too.  I have no idea how they were chosen--it wasn't the whole school coming.  I thought it was high school seniors who had no post-high school plans, but several of them had already been accepted to schools.  An observer who came from a different place might have said we had mostly minority students, but down here, traditional understandings of what constitutes a minority population don't apply.

Many of the females were dressed in professional clothes:  dresses or a skirt and top and moderate heels with a jacket.  Very few were dressed in what I think of as Miami high fashion:  very high heels and skimpy clothes.  About half the males were dressed in interview clothes, while the rest wore jeans and t-shirts.

Because so many of them were polite and respectful, it was striking when we encountered the few who weren't.  Actually, only one was memorable, and he simply stared off when we talked to him.  He seemed capable of talking to his friend, so it was just odd behavior.

Yes, I know it could have been worse.

Most of the students were able to carry on a conversation, even if they weren't sure what they wanted their next move to be.  But they're young, after all.  Why should they know?  The range of options would bewilder many of us.

They came in two groups, and in between, I went out to get in some of my daily quota of steps.  It was strange to be back in the Convention Center.  At my last job, I went there several times a year for graduation.  But I rarely made it to the more beautiful part of the building, the upper ballroom where the multi-story window gives a view of a beautiful fountain and the bridge to the beach and the bright, blue sky.  It made me understand why Ft. Lauderdale is a convention destination, which used to mystify me when I went to my former job and saw packs of conventioneers on the streets heading to restaurants.

I headed back to campus feeling satisfied about a morning well spent--we met lots of students, invited them to our Open House, and stitched our campus into the wider community.  Let me remember that good feeling when I spend today working on the projects that are due today.