Xtreme Beginnings 2007 Evaluations
Student Comments
Reflections from the students after they got back to their schools.
- A student came to school early the day after Xtreme Beginnings to tell her CDC that the day before was her best day the whole school year.
- LC, 11th grader, was so successful on her practice job interview, she was asked about the possibility of doing a summer internship hopefully with the New Schools Project. The student is very interested in being a teacher.
- CB, 11th grader, left Xtreme Beginnings really feeling good about himself, because it really helped him to decide on which career he wanted to pursue. He has always had an interest in construction, but not real sure what he wanted to do. Xtreme Beginnings helped him to make that decision. He was very impressed with talking with the colleges in the higher education room as well as how well his practice job interview went.
- While at Xtreme Beginnings, a student got a job offer from UPS!
- A student met an inspiring Duke medical student, and also met the director of the nursing program at ECU--this student has already followed up by visiting the director at ECU!
Xtreme Reflections from Xtreme Beginnings participants
- EA - I really enjoyed the Xtreme Beginnings career Exploration. It really enriched my knowledge of today's best careers and particularly the ones I'm interested in. The round table discussions were my favorite part. I got to speak one on one with individuals who are in the type of careers I am most interested in pursuing. The only thing I would suggest would be to have a wider variety of Health science career personnel. I met with two nurses and someone else in the Health Science field. The career/higher education fair was great. It was just like a Friday fair. It would have been better to have had more booths but it was still fun. Overall this was an enriching experience.
- BB - Xtreme Beginnings was a new experience for me. Many of the students there were underclassmen and were surprised to learn I was only a freshman. My interviewer seemed unprepared and knew nothing of my chosen field of work.
- CC - Yesterday's Xtreme Beginnings was a very good experience for me and my classmates. I'm glad we all went! It gave me many career choices and learning what other people do for a living was very interesting. I really liked the higher education part the most. I am very interested in hairstyling, fashion, and beauty and I only found about 4 places that could help me pursue a career in it! I didn't really like dressing up because I had high heels on and it wasn't comfortable all day long. Other than that, it was very fun and it was a wonderful experience.
- EH - My experience at Xtreme Beginnings was a very eventful one. I had the chance to talk to a lot of businesses that were similar in my field of study. One thing that really stood out for me is, I was able to talk to a coordinator at WRAL news and he wants to offer me an internship with someone. Because he believes that I will succeed in the communications field. We have been emailing back and forth, and I will make sure to update you on success. One thing that I didn't like about Xtreme Beginnings was the Higher Education fair. It was very organized and it didn't have a lot of colleges available. I would have liked it to have a lot more than it did. Overall the Xtreme Beginnings was a good experience.
- TM - My experience at the Xtreme Beginnings Career Exploration was a very informing trip. I learned what paths I should take that were necessary in being successful in life. I enjoyed talking to different colleges and learning about the different types of digital medias and graphic design programs. This trip has influenced me to take school a little more seriously in order to succeed and in order to find a good paying job so I can move to New York with my family.
- KM -What I like best about Xtreme Beginnings is how they had everything coordinated for us into a schedule. The one that I liked best was the higher education fair. I really went to one because I got a lot of information from different colleges. I think that it was really great. I have learned a lot of things just by going to it. They told me whatever your heart desires just do what it tells you to do. I like how they gave us refreshments when we got started. They had everything set up really good. I really hope that I can go back to it again next year. I was hoping that I could do the interview, but we ran out of time. All the people that were in my session were really nice and really patient with everybody so I really hope that they could have this again next year. I really enjoyed the trip. It was the best trip I have been on since 5th grade.
- KP - I enjoyed the trip to Xtreme Beginnings Career Exploration a lot. At first, I thought the station times seemed a bit short, but it seemed a good time amount after being in the class. I also had a wonderful opportunity given to me by my interviewer to tell a man who worked with to give me an internship with WRAL news! That's what I want to be, a newscaster or sports reporter. So I was excited to contact the people that I talked to. I am also going to take classes Thursday now with WRAL, so this gave me a great opportunity!
- HP - My day at Xtreme Beginnings was fun. I learned a few things though, because most of the things the trainer told me; I already knew it; But for instance, I learned that FIT is a very good college in New York and to look up for scholarship information. I also learned it is good to carry around a business card because you will never know who you will meet. Overall, I think "getting your foot in the door" is the one I learned the most. I enjoyed the bus ride and going to the mall, but one thing I would change next time I have to dress up is not wearing a two inches pair of heels. My feet were killing me! Ha ha! If I had a chance to do this again, I would. Thank you for the opportunity.
- LA - Thursday at Xtreme Beginnings I meet a lot of really nice people. I talk to the culinary chef from Johnson and Wales University. She gave me a lot good information on her college. I learned what things I should do to start my own business. During my interview, I did really good and I didn't misspell a word, and she told me that in the real world I would have failed. She told me that I would be getting the best grade.
- AB - It was a good experience to learn about different businesses and tips from the job interview. I learned a lot. The people were very nice and kind. It made me decide what college I should attend. Also it gave me an opportunity to get information about what I need for college.
- TC - Yesterday was an awesome experience for me. I got to experience the different types of jobs and what some of the major local colleges offer. I learned about the future colleges I wanted to go to and what are some of the requirements I need to make in order to succeed at my future career. I enjoyed going around to the different stations and getting different perspectives on how the employment would work and how to be successful in it.
- EC -Xtreme Beginnings was alright. I learned about being a pharmacist and also about how you should always think about what you do before you actually do it. I also had a practice interview and went to a business fair. It was okay. The interview helped me so that I know what to expect when I get a real interview for a job I want later on. I learned a lot, and I thought this was a great experience. I also met a lot of new people. Everyone was very nice and whenever I was lost, someone always helped me find my way. I am glad we went on this trip. This field trip was a good experience for me. I enjoyed the information learned, and I also liked how we went to the mall to eat and shop for a while. Xtreme Beginnings Career Exploration was a good learning experience for me.
- DD - At the Xtreme Beginnings Career Exploration, I learned about different types of careers. There were a lot of different people who worked a lot of different places. I didn't really learn much from them because I really knew mostly everything they were talking about. They said there were a lot of opportunities after high school to do what ever you want. A lot of the places were offering internships before someone actually got a job. There were a lot of interviewers that asked questions about plans for the future.
- AD - My experience at Xtreme Beginnings is that I met a lot of different people from different schools. I learned a lot about my goals that I want to be when I get older. It was pretty fun to learn different kinds of information about careers. The fact that was interesting was that everybody participated. Also, the students were talking about their self; about their "goal". I'm glad that I went to Xtreme Beginning.
- JM - My experience at Xtreme Beginnings was good. I did not get lost and found all my places that I was supposed to go. I liked the Higher Education fair the best. It was like the Friday Fairs at school. The roundtable sessions were boring because it was not really important to my career choice. I think my interview went okay, and I knew the son of the man that interviewed me. The only thing that I did not like was having the schedules.
- AN - Well, I really did not gather too much from this event because everything that was talked about I already knew. I am the youngest out of both sides of my family, and they are all diverse people. I have learned about all different careers and colleges since I was a small child. I have cousins that are forty-years-old. Having two older sisters, I have been looking into different careers and colleges since the 5th grade. If I had not been as acknowledgeable in most everything, I believe that this experience would have been worth while because a lot of time was put into this event and there were many accomplished people there to help us. One more comment is that when I was at the discussion table for teaching, I felt that it had nothing to do with teaching because the lady was talking about park recreation. So I do not think that was appropriate scheduling for that topic.
- SO - I really enjoyed myself at Xtreme Beginnings yesterday. It was an eye-opener to all the different career choices that there are in the world. Talking to the people who work in the fields was educational. The education fair that they had set up was helpful to me to narrow down colleges that I was planning to attend. The job interview made me see how I should do them for the future. In all, Xtreme Beginnings was a great experience that I think all students should attend.
- RR - I thought the Xtreme Beginnings was a great experience, and I am glad I went. My interviewer said I was the best person she interviewed all day. When I told my mom about the "fair," she was glad I was well dressed and what my interviewer said. I would love to go back to get more experience. Now that I know what the career fair is like, I would try to persuade others to go in order to help them understand the good qualities or dressing right and behaving properly.
- SW - Yesterday's experience was pretty fun and interesting to me. I got to get an idea of what a real job interview would be like. I really enjoyed the higher education fair where everyone got to go around and visit tables of different businesses. What I liked most about that experience is that we actually had a chance to apply for colleges that we are interested in. Another fun experience was when we were at different tables because the people were very nice. It was a very fun time that I had yesterday.
- KP - I enjoyed the trip to Xtreme Beginnings a lot. At first, I thought the station times seemed a bit short, but it seemed a good time amount after being in the class, I also had a wonderful opportunity given to me by my interviewer to tell a man he worked with to give me an internship with WRAL news! That's what I want to be, a newscaster or sports reporter so I was very excited to contact the people that I talked to. I am also going to take classes Thursdays now with WRAL, so this gave me a great opportunity!
- CC - Xtreme Beginnings offers information about jobs. They help you plan your future and ask what your interests are. There were many different discussions like, arts and sciences careers, commercial and artistic production, visual design, and many more. The arts and sciences taught me that you need to have a passion for something you are interested in. The higher education fair had many different careers that people might be interested in. The interview will help you prepare for the future when you get a job.
- JA - On yesterday's field trip to Xtreme Beginnings, the roundtable sessions were a little boring. Overall, the field trip and the experience were very good. There was a lot of information on different cosmetology schools. It was good to meet different people. Job applicants and discounts were available to the students there. To practice the job interviews was the best part. It was a little wrecking at first, but then it was a piece of cake. It helped me to see how a real job interview would go.
- AC - I thought Xtreme Beginnings was a very good and interesting experience. I enjoyed having the opportunity to be able to sit and talk with professionals about their career experiences. I felt that they all gave a lot of good advice on how to be successful. I found that if the presenter was not in my field of interest, they still provided me with valuable information about the job community. The higher education fair was great in that I was able to connect straight with the professionals in careers I was interested in. I wouldn't really change any thing about the trip. The only personal thing I'd like to change was to have more businesses related to the apparel industry represented. I notified that there were others who felt the same. Overall, it was a great experience that taught me a lot.
- MB - Overall I think the whole Xtreme Beginnings field trip I learned a lot. It was a great experience. I learned a lot about different colleges like East Carolina University, North Carolina State University, and the Art Institute. I talked to many different representatives at the higher education fair and obtained lots of information. I got information on different job opportunities in Apparel, Textiles, Engineering, broadcast journalism, and much, much more. Also, I got a chance to meet many different people. There were many nice students there to talk to who had some of the same interest as me. I enjoyed meeting different people and the representatives from different colleges. Overall, I had a wonderful time meeting new people, talking to college representatives, and learning information that will help me in the future.
- EE - From attending Xtreme Beginnings, I learned a lot of things. I've improved from my first practice job interview. In this interview, I felt more comfortable with myself. The lady was giving me advice on what to say and not to do on my future interviews. I also got to communicate with a many business people and learned about their businesses.
- LJ - Overall, I had a great experience at the field trip. The main thing I enjoyed was meeting so many people from other schools. I got to know what they were interested in and what they wanted to do. Another factor that captured my attention was what the various colleges offered. I discovered I could go to East Carolina University to get hours when I go to school to be a massage therapist.
- AM - I had fun on the field trip on Thursday. I learned a lot. I am really good at interviewing because I got a score of 97. I learned how to put my goals in order and in place. I learned more about the college I plan to attend because they were at the higher education fair. I really liked the entire program and had fun at the same time. I appreciated being able to have lunch at the mall.
- KR - I think this experience was really interesting and fun at the same time. While I was attending the employment fair I got the chance to get some applications as well as apply for a job on the spot. I was able to get some information about different schools and their programs. I also talked to people who have careers in the medical field, which is something I want to pursue also. I think everything went well, I would suggest much, but have more time to talk to people and representatives. I enjoyed it and had a good time. It helped me prepare for my career after high school.
- AS - I think Xtreme Beginnings was a great learning experience. I meet new people and learned a lot about jobs and colleges. I learned about the arts and sciences, communication and design. The higher education fair had colleges like Wake Tech, and NC State University, etc. They also had cosmetology available, Mitchells and Aveda. They representatives spoke about what we wanted to do after high school, where we wanted to go to college, and what we wanted to do in life. Overall, it was fun and very educational. I would go again. It helped me out a lot.
- JS - Xtreme Beginnings, in my opinion was very educational. I already knew most of what they taught me like: work is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. I think there could have been more colleges and more places that are actually hiring for a job. It seemed like seniors had more of a chance to get employed because of the senior fair.
- RW - Going on the trip to Xtreme Beginnings was a great experience. This has been my second time on this trip and I must say I have learned much more. I like how some companies had job applications to give to people. That was something I noticed that was different. I have learned to be more prepared because you'll never know who's around. I know to be myself "always" but something one of the speakers said was that people can tell what your personality is by the way you shake their hand or the way you give eye contact. That's pretty interesting because through eye contact and a firm handshake someone headed for a job can know from the start if you're right for the job. One thing I would like to say, "Xtreme Beginnings" should work on the timing. But other than that everything was worthwhile. I would recommend this activity to continue for generations to come.
Student evaluations of Xtreme Beginnings
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