Keon Roach previously didn’t know what neutering meant.
Thursday, he got to witness it.
On the final run of the job shadowing program for the county’s three public high schools, it was Kinston High School students’ turn at a direct glance into potential future careers.
More than 50 businesses hosted 89 students for the Career and Technical EducationJob Shadowing Day Thursday. From the local hospital and police force to hair salons and bakeries, 10th through 12th graders selected to spend the morning with professionals in their prospective career areas.
For senior Roach, it was zoology.
“(Shadowing a veterinarian) makes me kind of want to do it more,” said Roach, who participated in his first shadow day program. “(Veterinarian medicine) is part of what I want to do. Zoology is something similar to what vets do, but they’re doing it with wild animals.”
Roach assisted veterinarian Jimmy Shaver during a neutering procedure at Northside Hospital on Thursday morning. A second student, Taylor Gray, 16, looked on. She’s always had a love for animals, which has compelled her career choice.
“Some of my expectations were to learn what vets really do, see what a vet’s office really looks like and see what machines they use,” said Gray, a junior interesting in veterinarian medicine. “So far, I’ve learned a lot.”
She volunteers at the local Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and said the shadow day is a chance for students to weigh their job options.
“Sometimes, you come out here and might not like the experience,” Gray said. “If you come out here to the job that you want to do … then you’ll see what it’s really like, and you’ll see if you really like it or don’t like it.”
Jessica Shimer, the career day’s coordinator, said in the past six years of the program, students have been able to either weed out or solidify their futures.
She recalled former KHS student Resita Cox credited shadowing Free Press reporters for choosing to major in journalism.
Additionally, Shimer said students are responsible for taking their experiences to the next step.
“You’ve got to take it further,” she said, “but we’ve opened doors for you.”
Shimer said she recruits businesses to commit to all three dates at the beginning of the school year at North Lenoir and South Lenoir High Schools also participate.
“This is the first time Kinston’s done it in the spring,” Shimer said. “I have chosen to rotate the schools now. That is very unique.”
Shaver said a distinctive part of the shadowing activities for him would be reminiscing on his own high school days. He said each year, the vet’s office hosts several students interested in the field.
“You can go into research, sales, specialty practices — just a number of things,” Shaver said. “I try to get in these guys’ head there’s more to veterinarian medicine than what I do.”
Melissa Glen, Rachel Jones and Dymond Mumford contributed to this report. Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 or at jessika.morgan@kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.