Looking into the future Looking into the future (June 10, 2005)

Foothill alumni speak with students during career day
Rebecca Guyon

Foothill High School alumni were back on campus last week, but this wasn't a 10-year reunion. These alumni came back to share their career experiences with current high school students during the thirteenth annual Alumni Career Day. About 40 alumni returned to Foothill on June 3 where they spoke to fifth and sixth period classes about their careers and gave general advice based on their life experiences.

"It's a great way to bring careers into the classroom and connect alums with students," said event chair Lynn Pulino who is also the parent of a Foothill student and graduate.

Foothill science teacher Len Reppond went through an alumni career day when he was a high school student. He thought it was such a great program that he brought it to Foothill, and nearly 50 alumni attended that first year. The event has maintained a consistent group of alumni since then. Even with this core group, the school constantly tries to expand and bring in more people through using on-line alumni web sites.

"Part of what we try to do is get students ready for the real world and hearing about careers helps with that," Reppond said. "Alumni are a more credible group because, in many cases, they've had the same teachers and lived in the same environment as current students."

In addition to meeting with current students, alumni first got a chance to catch up with each other during a luncheon served by the catering class in the Foothill multi-purpose room.

"I hope to give some guidance to students and let them know there is a light at the end of the academic tunnel," said 1985 graduate Tom Moreno. Moreno is now a detective in the San Jose Police Department and still lives in Pleasanton. He has presented at the alumni day every year since it began and, in that time, four students have become police officers, he said.

This was the first year Christina Graham, an associate pastor for youth and families at First Presbyterian Church in Livermore, attended the alumni day, although she did go to her 15-year reunion. She decided to come after a friend urged her to go.

She said spoke with students about how to know whether they are called to a career in religion, as well as how to be open to all careers. Graham, a 1986 graduate, first considered work as a pastor after her experiences volunteering at Pleasanton Presbyterian Church when she was in high school.

"I don't focus so much on what I do in sales," said Ryan Ashburn, who is the director of sales for Automatic Data Processing. "I focus on what it takes to be successful in life and how that translates to professional careers."

Ashburn, class of 1989, said he comes back for alumni day because he had a great experience at Foothill and still feels connected to the school. Two of his sisters currently attend.

"Alumni love coming back for the same reason students love having them here: the personal connection," Pulino said.

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