Students explore careers

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Dylan Goodman, 12, of South Haven, Ind. (right), shakes hands with and thanks electrician Mike Jetmund for coming to the Mitch's Kids career event at the South Haven Boys and Girls Club. | Jeffrey D. Nicholls~Sun-Times Media

Updated: February 21, 2012 8:15AM

Ashley Cytlak, 10, seems to have her life’s path figured out.

“I want to be a fashion designer,” said Ashley, a fifth-grader at South Haven Elementary School. “I’ll go to college for a couple of years, definitely finish high school, and find a job somewhere.”

Career plans were on Ashley’s mind and the minds of her peers on Jan. 12 when she joined more than 40 elementary and middle school students for a career program at the Boys and Girls Clubs’ unit in South Haven.

The presentation, featuring a panel of several people in the community in a wide array of jobs, from a farmer to a banker, was part of a program dubbed “Mitch’s Kids,” which provides education, youth development and career exploration services to children.

One of the components of the program, said Ron Ranta, director of the South Haven unit, is meeting folks in different careers.

“We do it every year, and we do two career sessions, one this month and one next month,” he said, adding this is the eighth year for the program.

Mitch’s Kids is a joint partnership between the Governor’s Office, the Indiana Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, and the Indiana Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs. The goal of the program is to serve 2,800 children across the state.

Nate Smith, a personal banker with a Fifth Third Bank branch in Merrillville who lives in Portage, was more than happy to discuss his job with the children at the South Haven club. He was once a member there and also has worked at the Portage club.

Smith said he’s come full circle by helping with the program.

“I know it’s just as important to talk about things. If they need information on what it takes to get further in life, then I’m happy to share my story,” he said.