What do you want to be when you grow up?
Kids are hit with that question almost before they leave the cradle, and for many it’s a puzzler.
Students at Morristown High School will get some help on Dec. 2, 2014, when two dozen alumni gather for an evening of mentoring.
It’s like an All-Star team of MHS grads, led by keynote speaker Joe Daniels, ’90, the president and CEO of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.
Alumni will give talks and field questions about 11 career fields: Arts, athletics, business, civil service, communications and media, education, entrepreneurship, law, medicine, nonprofit pursuits and science/technology/engineering/math.
“There are so many talented and accomplished MHS alumni out there out there and it’s so amazing that we can bring them back to guide MHS students on their goals and career planning,” said Ed Myers of the MHS Alumni Association, which hatched the Colonials Alumni Mentoring Program with the Morris Educational Foundation.
The event starts at 7 pm at the high school, and is open to all MHS students and their parents.
Debbie Sontupe, executive director of the Morris Educational Foundation, said the program started taking shape last spring.
“Our goal for the event is to provide Morristown High School students a fun and inspiring evening to explore careers with fellow Colonials who have been down the road ahead of them,” she said.
In addition to giving students a better grasp of what various careers entail, mentors ideally will provide inspiration and insights to help students with their college choices, said MHS Principal Mark Manning.
The principal also hopes it strengthens and forges relationships between the school and community.
Myers said the Colonials Alumni Mentoring Program is intended as an annual event. It grew from a task force of his association and the Morris Educational Foundation.
“We are also hopeful to connect our alumni community to students and programs in the high school and district,” added Sontupe.
“We are grateful for all the alumni who have so willingly and proudly agreed to come back and serve as mentors and we are thankful to the Alumni Association for their partnership on this event.”
One of the mentors, BBC America TV senior writer/producer Eric Ruhalter, ’86, is especially dear to us. He is a past winner of the MorristownGreen.com Film Festival.
Below is Tuesday’s full roster.
ARTS:
Andre Woolery, ’99, Fine Artist
Eric Sellin, ’79, Painting Specialist, Long Valley Autobody
ATHLETICS
Bob Largman, ’79, four-time Coach, US Olympic Fencing Team
Jason Vigilante, ’91, Head Men’s Cross Country Coach, Princeton University
BUSINESS
Jacques Duvoisin, ’98, Director Marketing Education Global Management Strategies, The Estée Lauder Co. Inc.
Alli Widman, ‘99, Global Investment Specialist, JP Morgan Private Bank
CIVIL SERVICE
Keith Cregan, ’94, Lieutenant, Morristown Police
Gary “Skip” Windt, ’02, Naval Aviator, U.S. Marine Corps
COMMUNICATIONS & MEDIA
Eric Ruhalter, ’86, Senior Writer/Producer, BBC America TV
Mike Ryan, ’01, Program Director, B 98.5 & Fun 107.1
EDUCATION
Christa Ghila Nees, ’84, First Grade Teacher, Peck School
Vince Phinn II, ’95, Guidance Counselor, FMS
Diego Salas, ’02, Fifth Grade Teacher, Thomas Jefferson
Marietta Scorsune, ’98, AP Spanish Teacher, MHS
ENTREPRENEUR
Thursa Hyland, ’89, President, Hyland Global Solutions
Peter Lorenzo, ’90, Owner/Founder, ClutterCrashers, The Organizing Company
LAW
John Lynch, ’86, Partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
Mat Nunn, ‘99, Associate Einhorn Harris Ascher Barbarito & Frost, PC
MEDICINE
Rajat Bannerji, Associate Prof., Robert Wood Johnson Hospital Division of Hematology & Oncology
Mark Gleckner, ’81, DMD
NON PROFIT
Jeanne Blanchard, ’81, Corporate Account Rep., American Cancer Society
STEM
Paul Boyadjis, ’80, Director of Structural Engineering, Mechanical Solutions, Inc.
Fiorella Rodriguez, ’04, Supply Chain Planner, BASF
And that Joe Daniels was absolutely great. Nearly every word out of his mouth was useful. The town should lure him back over and over again.