Students of Oakdale Junior High are in for a treat, as well as opportunity this February, as the campus staff and administration embrace College and Career month.
OJHS Vice Principal Talmage Allen has spearheaded a month of activities, as well as guest speakers each day during the students’ lunch period.
According to the vice principal, he began giving thought to the month’s activities prior to winter break. By early January he began making phone calls.
“If you were my friend, you got a call,” Allen said of his plan to bring a guest speaker for each day of the month, to share their story with the student body.
Allen, in his first year as VP of OHJS, also reflected back upon prior year’s activities and built upon it.
“I thought we can do better than that,” he said of prior years. “Our kids deserve better than that. Let’s do something every day.”
In addition to daily guest speakers and presentations for the seventh and eighth graders, Allen has also added college visits for the students.
Dr. Jill Cadmus, DVM (aka Dr. Jill) is sure to have generated positive buzz around campus in favor of the guest speaker presentations. Returning for the second year, Dr. Jill came complete with bananas and suture kits to treat the students to a hands-on experience.
“We’re doctors today,” the OHS alum and Colorado State grad reminded the students.
Approximately 150 kids attended her presentation during the seventh and eighth grade lunch periods.
“The eighth graders were more enthusiastic,” she said of the exercise. “I think the seventh graders were more attentive. I think they all did really well.
“Doing is much more fun than talking,” Dr. Jill added, noting that she herself did not know precisely what she would do in her career path until her college years.
“When I first went to college I didn’t want to be a vet,” she said. “I always liked science and medicine. Through exploring the field I thought, yep!, veterinary medicine is pretty awesome.”
Dr. Jill guided the students as they worked in teams of two, lacerating the skin of half a banana and removing or repairing their ‘patients’ needs. While it was an exercise in imagination, it was also an opportunity they might not have otherwise.
“I feel like the value is huge,” the vet said. “They’re all going to remember the day they got to suture bananas. It’s one of the things that you remember from vet school. Suturing is a part of our everyday life and it’s such a doctor skill.”
Dr. Jill noted that the opportunity presented itself as viable, due to the donation of the suture kits. Students were able to use tools, instruments and procedures similar to that she herself had experienced as a DVM student.
“I want to become a veterinarian when I get older,” seventh grader Maquel Besson said. “I’ve always liked helping animals.”
Students like Maquel who know where they’re headed and students who have the vaguest notion are equally the driving force for Allen’s vision with the monthly activities.
“That’s been our common message to them,” Allen said, “don’t limit yourself. I’ve been encouraging the speakers to tell their stories. Tell the random things that might catch their attention.
“My vision is, we open some eyes, we get some life lessons in there somewhere,” he continued.
Guest speakers scheduled for the upcoming weeks include: a diesel mechanic, published author, professional athlete, military, police and fire representatives, among others.
“I think my passion is there’s been enough experience in my life to realize school is really important,” Allen said. “I’m going to take this thing seriously. Just knowing people do all kinds of things and they’re our neighbors, and they’re our friends.
“Everyone’s got a story,” he went on. “So let’s find out what their story is and realize that, students, you’ve got to create your own.”
