Latin School of Chicago

Jenny Cizner '95, can relate to similar difficulties about not knowing what she wanted to do. Cizner is the new president of the Alumni Board and spoke on the global issues and government panel during this spring's program. Cizner, now chief operating officer of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, has had stints on the 2008 Obama campaign and in the Obama White House. She also didn't know what she wanted to do as a high school student, thinking maybe she would become a lawyer because several relatives were attorneys. "is program would have been so valuable to me when I was in high school. Just to talk about the wide array of professions that exist, with all their nooks and crannies," she said. "It's so important for kids to hear about professions that they might have heard of, but also about professions they've never heard of. Even hearing the titles is good exposure or them." Cizner has also worked on the program right from its inception and this year helped recruit panelists. Because Chu and the other organizers are committed to keeping the program fresh and do not want students to hear the same presentations year after year, alumni are allowed as speakers only once every three years. "Luckily, Latin has produced a wide array of professionals," said Cizner. "Our alumni base is quite diverse, and this allows us to be as creative as possible when picking panelists." Indeed, this year's program included a cytopathologist (someone who diagnoses diseases by examining cells scraped from the body or aspirated by a fine needle), a food marketer for a brand with popcorn and sweet snacks, and the founder of a nonprofit that provides counseling to Chicago public school students. Greg Morris '00, remembers being a teenager and feeling the pressure to make the right decision about which college to attend. "e college decision is important, but it's not a decision that will define you for the rest of your life," he said. Morris, founder of Gauntlet Aerospace (a company that provides flight test support, training, and aircraft to the Department of Defense and private aerospace companies), was on the entrepreneurship, technology and engineering panel this spring and attended via video conference. Morris understands that a student's viewpoint is often limited. "A program like this is really great because students get a perspective in careers, especially non-traditional ones. It opens their aperture a little to what's possible and that there are more than just the traditional jobs available." Students love hearing about the career experiences of their Roman brethren. omas Braun '18, graduated this year and attended the spring event. He will attend Amherst College in the fall and plans to study international relations or political science/national security. Like many students, he's not sure what he'd like do career-wise but thinks he might be interested in working for the government in national security. Braun sat in on the global issues and government panel and was intrigued by the naval intelligence officer who spoke. "I really liked that the speakers made it clear that they thought they would do one thing, but it was not necessarily what they ended up doing," he said. "It's helpful to know that I don't need to know at this point. [My decision] could change, and that's all right." Braun also appreciated that the setting was one where the students could ask lots of questions and really engage with the panelists. Braun even emailed a panelist afterward asking about ways to find a summer internship and was struck that the alum answered his email so quickly with suggestions and seemed eager to help. Students choose from a variety of panel discussions based on interest. EXPLORING CAREERS " It's so important for kids to hear about professions that they might have heard of, but also about professions they've never heard of. Even hearing the titles is good exposure for them." 36

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