Hundreds of students, dozens of businesses highlight freshman Career Expo at Detroit Lakes High School

Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – Dozens of lakes area businesses set-up demonstration tables at Detroit Lakes High School for the 6th annual Freshman Career Expo on Wednesday afternoon.

Hundreds of lakes area freshman from the surrounding area were able to meet and take part in interactive demonstrations with the businesses as they explore different career fields.

Freshman from across the lakes area participate in the Career Expo at Detroit Lakes High School on Oct. 11, 2023. (Michael Achterling / KDLM)

Detroit Lakes High School Principal Josh Omang said the event exposes high schoolers to variety of different fields with the hope that they will narrow down their career field selections once they become upper classmen and take part in their career capstone projects.

“The exposure piece, I think, that’s huge piece where kids need that,” said Omang. “They need as much exposure as they can get … and we’ll often get that question, ‘holy cow, you’re  having a 15-year-old pick a career,’ that’s not what we’re doing. We’re just trying to provide exposure to a million careers, as many as we can. And it’s amazing … we have everything in a town this size and people are willing to do it. They see the benefit.”

He also praised one of the event coordinators, Vern Schnathorst, for not making the expo like a typical career fair because the students get a lot more out of the interactive environment with the businesses and organizations.

“We’ve all experienced some sort of career fair,” he said. “Whether it was in college, or where ever, and some of those, you can get a little key chain or a candy bar, and without Vern (Schnathorst), obviously, we wouldn’t be at the level we’re at either. I mean he’s the guy on this stuff.”

Omang added he thinks this event can really make an impact in the lives of these students based on some of the conversations he was overhearing during the event and a15-year-old who is enthusiastic about their future is something the school and the whole community should take pride in.

Freshmen check out a vendor table during the Career Expo at Detroit Lakes High School on Oct. 11, 2023. (Michael Achterling / KDLM)

“I always overhear the kids’ conversations and I get to hang out with kids all day, so I am well aware of how creative kids are and how much things actually matter,” said Omang. “People don’t always think that. We just think the world is in trouble because of this next generation, but the conversations kids are having about these things is huge. And I heard a bunch of those today too. So that’s huge.”

Students from Frazee, New York Mills and Detroit Lakes took part in the two-hour event at Lakeshirts Field House.