Seniors Connect With Leading Industry Professionals Over Zoom

Over the course of two weeks, Bronxville High School seniors participated in virtual Senior Shadowing workshops to learn about a vast array of careers and industries. With dozens of choices, each student participated in eight sessions through June 5. 

“We have had tremendous participation from our parents and community to host Senior Shadowing sessions virtually this year for our seniors,” Principal Ann Meyer said. “We cannot thank them enough for sharing their time and expertise so that we can provide our seniors with a glimpse of the possibilities for their future careers.” 

During a session for the entire Class of 2020 on May 28, the students heard from Steve Swartz, president and CEO of Hearst, as well as senior executives who shared details about some of the company’s divisions and brands. The students also attended virtual sessions to gain insight from Amazon, Facebook, Google and NFL representatives; learn about advertising, investment banking, speech language pathology and biopharmaceutical innovation; and hear from a news producer and entrepreneurs, among others. 

“This year’s Shadowing is not how we have done it in the past, but more students had the chance to experience a larger variety of Shadowing sessions, and we think it was even more beneficial in the new, virtual format,” Meyer said. 

The seniors concluded their Senior Shadowing workshop experience with an all-class virtual session with former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who had been on multiple space missions, including a yearlong stint on the International Space Station. 

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear from Scott Kelly,” Meyer said. “He provided our seniors with advice about challenging themselves to do the hard things, not just what comes easily. He also shared that during his last mission to space, one of his final reflections – while observing the tremendous achievement of the construction of the International Space Station as it traveled at the speed of 17,000 miles per hour orbiting the Earth – was that humans can solve the world’s most difficult problems. We have that capacity. We can solve the difficult problems, and he challenged the Class of 2020 to do just that.”

In addition, the students reconnected during virtual Senior Week and participated in discussions on safety, history of racism and how to combat it, tips for financial literacy and practical advice, as well as a coping session about life beyond Bronxville, led by school psychologist Dr. Tom Viviano.

“It was moving to be alongside them and to help launch the seniors safely into their next worlds,” said teacher Beth Agarabi, who organized Senior Week. “They are an extremely special group who quickly redirected their disappointments about the pandemic into maturity and a visionary process.”