By JONATHAN DALE, Staff Writer
February 22, 2007
Printed courtesy of Imperial Valley Press, El Centro, CA

Peering beneath a blue surgeon’s cap, Esmeralda Gonzalez’s eyes widened as Dr. Craig Satow made an incision in the sleeping Rottweiler lying before them.

“It’s really interesting,” Esmeralda said as she watched Satow spay the dog. “The surgery is the amazing part.”

The 14-year-old ninth-grader from De Anza Junior High in Calexico was just one of hundreds of Imperial Valley students who took advantage of the Imperial County Office of Education’s annual job-shadowing day to begin looking into different career paths.

As someone who grew up with a fondness for pets, Esmeralda said it was only natural she should visit Satow at Desert Veterinary Group in Imperial.

“Since I was little, I always wanted to become a veterinarian, because I love animals,” Esmeralda said. “I think it’s one of the most amazing jobs you can have.”

Despite seeing a surgical procedure in person for the first time, Esmeralda said that after the four hours watching Satow and his staff at work, she’s ready to help animals more than ever.

“I learned about the medicine, how they treat diseases such as kennel cough, and the procedures they take for their safety,” Esmeralda said. “They do a lot of cool stuff, just treating animals to help them live a better life.”

Choosing a career in fashion

As Esmeralda learned the ins and outs of veterinary medicine, schoolmate Adriana Arce was listening intently to the managers of New York & Company at the Imperial Valley Mall.

A 13-year-old eighth-grader at De Anza, Adriana already has an idea of what she wants to do with her life after graduation from high school.

“Last year I (job shadowed) for marketing, and this year I wanted to do something different to expand my opportunities in careers, to broaden my choices,” Adriana said. “But I ended up learning a lot more about marketing, and how selling goes along with the fashion.”

The store was just one of several Adriana and her fellow job shadowers experienced at the mall, as managers for Charlotte Russe and Forever 21 also opened their stores’ doors to the prospective fashion experts.

After listening to New York & Company assistant manager Leleinia Moore talk about the benefits of working in retail while attending a junior college and preparing to transfer to a fashion school, Adriana appeared to have made up her mind concerning her future.

“I think I’m going to look into fashion design and marketing, especially the buying scene, where I’ll get to pitch and sell the clothes that will go into the stores,” Adriana said. “I think this day was really good.”

>> Staff Writer Jonathan Dale can be reached at 337-3440 or at jdale@ivpressonline.com