Students at Jemison Elementary School had the opportunity this week to explore different options for what careers they might like to have when they grow up at the annual “career days.”

“This is always a good time for the kids to see different occupations and learn about the different careers that are available,” JES counselor Teresa Knott said. “It helps kids decide what they might like to do when they get older.”

Representatives from different businesses both local and statewide shared with students different aspects of their jobs.

Occupations represented in the career fair included law enforcement officials, meteorologists, firemen, Air National Guard, a taekwondo instructor, a nutritionist, Central Alabama Electric Cooperative, a forensic scientist and many more.

“We wanted to be able to have a variety of careers to show everyone, and we always have a great response,” Knott said.

Knott said “career days” has been an annual event at the school for many years.

Students walked throughout the school for various 30-minute sessions exploring the different careers on Monday and Tuesday from 8-11:30 a.m.

Taekwondo instructor Sean Gilham taught students about the importance of having “confidence” when accomplishing a goal.

Gilham selected certain students from the crowd to come up and break wooden boards with their hands.

In a separate session, Heath Smith with Central Alabama Electric Cooperative led a demonstration focusing on staying safe around electricity.

“If you see a power line that is down after a storm then you need to stay away from that,” Smith said. “Don’t play around it because it is very dangerous and could hurt you.”

Smith donned a piece of equipment he wears made out of rubber to protect him when working near electricity.

Smith got in his bucket truck parked outside of JES and showed students how high he can go to work on power lines.

Although all of the careers featured at “career days” spark the interest of the students in attendance, Knott said the law enforcement portions are usually the most popular.

“The kids love seeing the police and firemen come out as they do their demonstrations,” Knott said.