Business and marketing honor society students from the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake School District recently had a bird’s-eye view of both their future careers and New York City’s famed Central Park.
The 23 future financial experts traveled to the city in December to meet with the U.S. Comptroller and four staff members at the international investment banking firm of Lazard Freres in Rockefeller Plaza.
The students heard firsthand accounts of the different career paths that led the successful New York City financiers to their coveted positions. They also got tips on the tricky balancing act of juggling work and personal life, and brushed up on their interviewing skills to land jobs after they graduate from college. With work completed, students on the trip had a taste of their future career perks as they lunched in the executive boardroom overlooking Central Park.
Laura Siracuse, business education teacher at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School, organized the enviable field trip. Siracuse is herself a former Wall Street wizard.
I worked in the city three years ago, but events on 9-11 made me re-evaluate my priorities, said Siracuse. `I have family in the area and decided to come up to teach at the high school.`
Siracuse used her connections to line up her students with the savvy New York City financial experts.
`One of the points made to the students was that people come to their careers from very different circumstances,` said Siracuse. `We advise them to go to school, get an education, and then the opportunities are endless and they don’t have to be pigeon-holed in any particular job.`
The students in grades 10 through 12 in the honors program have the top grades in their finance and accounting classes.
`They will most likely go into a five-year college program and then sit for their CPA,` said Siracuse. `After that, they’ll have their choice of jobs.`
Kayla Doan, a senior at the high school, has been taking her education seriously since elementary school.
`My parents helped motivate me back when I started school, but pretty much after that I pushed myself,` said Doan. `I’ve always loved math. I have broad career goals, and my parents have supported me in that.`
Doan said since she’s in the process of applying to colleges and making a final choice, the field trip was a good wake-up call to keep her grades up.
`I got so much out of the trip; I see how important it is to buckle down and do your best in school,` said Doan. `The people we met were so brilliant, and I know I need to get into a good school and do my best.`
The trip was also a learning experience for Ashley Cipriano, a senior at the high school who aspires to be an investment banker. `The people who worked at the firm got there from so many different career paths, but they all ended up at the same place,` said Cipriano. `They just worked hard to achieve their goals.“
