"What do you want to be when you grow up?" is an age-old question. It can be a tough one to answer. But, dogs and drones can at least make figuring it out more exciting. 

 

A.F. Palmer Elementary School held its 2nd annual Career Day, as students from grades UPK through 5th rotated through six classes, each featuring a different career. Those professions included the military, engineering, law enforcement, teaching, and paramedic. 

 

 

 

"We want to give kids access to different careers, really broaden their horizons," said school counselor Sandra Tredo. "We also wanted to focus on the seven career pathways the District has designated in the Future Ready Knights program. So, this is a chance for the kids to learn what each person does."

 

Chris Bracco from the Binghamton Police Department brought his K-9 partner, Apache, to Palmer. Students learned about Apache's training, and his day-to-day life as an officer. 

 

""I think it was cool. I love dogs. I have a couple, so that was fun for me," said 3rd grader Landon Brown. "I do think, 'I wonder what job I could do one day?' I do think a lot about being a K-9 officer."

 

Lockheed Martin engineer Scott Ashcraft talked about his academic path as an undergraduate at the University of Kentucky, to his graduate study at Georgia Tech leading him to NASA, Boeing, and, then, Lockheed.

 

 

 

"We design, we test, and we build all kinds of systems," Ashcraft told a 4th grade class. He brought samples of the drones U.S. soldiers and their allies use in combat overseas. 

 

"Every year we want to add on a little bit more. We would like to add more discussions, and maybe even develop a Career Week," said Tredo.