By Jennifer L. Fredrick

MHS Career and Technical Education Coordinator

In early February, juniors at Marshfield High School attended Xtreme Xploration at UW-Marshfield/Wood County. The mission statement for Xtreme Xploration is, “Business and educational leaders sharing real life experiences to prepare students for post-high school opportunities.” 2017 marked the ninth year Xtreme Xploration has taken place in Marshfield.

Throughout the day, students participated in informational interviews with community members and sought advice on résumé writing. Students attending the event “dressed for success” and received written feedback from their interviewer about ways to improve for their next interview.

Students learned about what college is like as well as business ethics and etiquette from panel discussions. A panel discussion with current high school seniors and students from UW-Marshfield/Wood County and Mid-State Technical College gave attendees an opportunity to learn about college life and tips for their senior year.

The panels also included local employers, who discussed ethical scenarios such as cellphone usage or surfing the web at work, appropriate workplace attire, and confidentiality.

Several four-year universities, two-year colleges, and technical colleges from around the state were in attendance and available for any student who had questions.

New this year, students could speak with Marshfield Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MACCI) staff about employment opportunities. Students were informed about part-time summer employment, internships, Youth Apprenticeship opportunities, and more.

Students that attended Xtreme Xploration commented that they appreciated having the opportunity to practice interviewing skills and receive feedback from community members. Cassandra Kopf, a junior at Marshfield High School, said, “It was helpful to have professionals to talk with at Xtreme Xploration. The college fair opened my eyes to other postsecondary opportunities.” Kopf plans on becoming an elementary teacher and studying at UW-Green Bay.

Sponsors for Xtreme Xploration included Marshfield Sunrise Rotary, Simplicity Credit Union, Kwik Trip, Dunkin’ Donuts, Mid-State Technical College, UW-Marshfield/Wood County, and MACCI. The School District of Marshfield truly appreciates those local businesses and organizations that sponsored this event and community leaders who volunteered their time to prepare students to be career and college ready.

For more information about Xtreme Xploration or about how to get involved next year, contact Jennifer Fredrick at fredrickj@marshfieldschools.org.