American Samoa Community College

Caption: ASCC student Noelani Tu'u explores career options during the College's Career Day, which took place last week. (Photo: J. Kneubuhl)	ASCC Career Fair Highlights Opportunities for Students
	April 16 , 2007 James Kneubuhl, ASCC Press Officer


	When it comes to choices, sometimes it seems we have too few, and other times it seems we have too many. For young adults, making choices can prove one of the most challenging aspects of their student years. Should they continue their education or seek employment? How do their classes prepare them for either college or the work force? What kind of academic direction has enough appeal for them to pursue an advanced degree in that area? What kind of employment opportunities does the local business sector have to offer? Would joining the military help them achieve their personal goals?
“We can’t make choices for students, but we can do our best to make them aware of the many options they have for their future,” said Dr. Emilia Le’i, Dean of Student Services at the American Samoa Community College (ASCC). Last week, the Student Services Division at the College sponsored a two-day Career Fair to provide students with a broad picture of those options. On the first day, the Career Fair showcased a number of academic divisions within the College, such as Teacher Education, Land Grant, Trades and Technology, and Samoan Studies. Throughout the ASCC auditorium, students had the chance to speak informally with staff members from each of these divisions about the possibility of majoring in one of these areas. On the second day, representatives from the public and private sectors, as well as the military, joined the Fair to talk with students about career opportunities in their respective fields. Participants included Army Recruiting, Marine Recruiting, Navy Reserves, Star Kist Samoa, COS Samoa Packing, Vocational Rehabilitation Services, NOAA Weather Services, the Election Office, Blue Sky Communications, the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources, ASCO Motors, Florence Saulo & Associates, and the Fire Department. Describing the success of this semester’s Career Fair, co-organizer and ASCC counselor Galu Satele Jr. explained, “Besides providing the opportunity for the ASCC departments to ‘sell’ their programs to our students, we also provided the students with networking opportunities with many local public agencies and private businesses. In turn, an event like this assists the participating agencies and companies in their recruiting efforts to hire students from ASCC. Some students had never experienced an event like this, so we exposed them to a Career Fair environment. Now a great number of our students have Career Fair expectations, so they can effectively prepare for them in the future.” Satele says this early exposure to the professional side of things can help students gain a crucial edge when they seek employment. “A student who has spoken with a company or agency representative has an increased chance of receiving an interview with these employers in the future,” he said. “The Career Fair also enables students to expand their network of contacts, so they may have options to choose from. The Fair enables students to investigate career fields in accordance to their major and background, and to receive sound advice by talking to representatives who have experience in their professions.” Besides the off-campus representatives from the public service sector, the business community and the local military, Satele also thanked the other members of the Student Services counseling team, Annie Panama, Mark Mageo and Fualaau Lancaster for their role in organizing the Career Fair. He also credits the Student Government Association, the Admissions Office, the ASCC Security and Custodians, and Dr. Le’i for their efforts towards making the Fair a success. <<< Back to Other News & Events