“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Most of us hear that question from the time we’re old enough to talk. As kids, we tend to respond enthusiastically by naming whatever profession has piqued our interest. I remember eagerly telling people that I was going to be a guitar player when I grew up. My mother would stand behind me saying that I really wanted to be a teacher. I did both, and now I’m a Cumberland County public librarian.
As children, few of us can answer that question accurately. Many of us still don’t know what we want to be when we are in high school and are called upon to make decisions that will affect the rest of our lives. The fact is, we often don’t know what our choices are or what avenues and resources are available to help us define and achieve our dreams.
This is what Cumberland County Public Library’s Future Fair is all about — providing teens and adults with knowledge, resources, options and pathways to get where they want to go.
The free, daylong Future Fair will take place at Cliffdale Regional Library, 6882 Cliffdale Road, on April 15. It will kick off at 11 a.m. with a parent workshop. Speakers will address some of the many ways parents can help their teens or recent graduates prepare for their futures, such as how to fill out the federal student aid application (FAFSA) and how to research potential careers.
One of the library’s digital navigators will be present to assist those attending with technology and with navigating websites.
Fayetteville Technical Community College, Miller-Motte College and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke will have representatives on hand with information about their programs, scholarships and other opportunities. UNC-Pembroke is a North Carolina Promise School offering $500 in-state tuition per semester. If you don’t know about Promise Schools, this will be your opportunity to find out more.
Military recruiters will answer questions about opportunities in the armed services. Representatives of apprenticeship programs, real estate professionals and vocational professionals will have information about careers and education in their respective fields.
Available resources compiled by library staff include information on NCWorks for teens, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and schools with rolling admissions.
For details about this and all library programming, stop in at any of our eight locations, call us at 910-483-7727, or visit www.cumberlandcountync.gov/library.
