Grace Johnson, Westmoreland Class of 2016, met with three Jr./Sr. High School students who are interested in pursuing a law career in early January.
After graduating from Westmoreland Jr./Sr. High School in 2016, Grace attended Syracuse University and earned degrees in Forensic Science and Political Science in 2020. She is currently pursuing her Juris Doctorate at Albany Law School, and is expected to graduate in May 2023. After law school, Grace would like to work in criminal law and prosecute special victim crimes. 
Grace’s visit served as a source of inspiration. She shared why she is passionate about law and students were able to ask her about the profession, education requirements and more.
The visit was organized by Mrs. Weissenberger, Business teacher and College & Career Enrichment Program coordinator. The College & Career Enrichment Program gives every senior several, unique opportunities to shadow a professional in his or her work environment. This allows students to learn, first hand, how the important workplace skills they are learning in the classroom can be applied in the real world, as well as confirm their desire to pursue a particular career or become motivated to explore other avenues. In addition to visits to job sites and shadowing experiences, seniors meet with professionals or college students like Grace. The meetings enable students to learn more about their interests in an intimate, interactive setting.
“The more avenues students can explore, the better,” Mrs. Weissenberger said.
In order to participate in the College & Career Enrichment Program, each senior must be in good academic standing and create a portfolio, which includes a cover letter, resume and references. Additionally, each senior is required to complete a research paper about his or her career choice, write a reflective essay at the conclusion of every visit to a specific job site or visit with a professional and send a thank you card to their host.
Thank you for spending time with our students, Grace!