MS343 Career Day a Huge Success

Last Friday, our annual MS343 Career Day made a triumphant return for the first time since the pandemic. We were thrilled to welcome an incredible group of guests who took time out of their busy schedules to support our school community. We are so grateful to all of our presenters for helping make this a great experience for our students.

The day featured an impressive array of career fields represented, including marketing, law, ASL interpretation, academia, food services and nutrition, nonprofit leadership, nursing, theater production, journalism, communications, and filmmaking. Many of our guests were parents, friends, and alumni making it an extra special day.

One (of many) incredible highlights was Bernadine Virani, an ASL interpreter. Raised in Harlem, she graduated from Washington Irving in 1969, and recalls writing "Teacher for the Deaf" in her yearbook as her intended career choice. She has worn many hats since, such as Social Worker and Case Manager, and these led her to her career as an ASL Interpreter. Bernadine received her AA degree in Deaf Education from Mesquite, Texas and her BA from the College of New Rochelle, in Psychology. She did her Interpreter training at Gallaudet, in Washington DC in 1986, but she stresses that "interpreter training continues because it is always changing like the English language."

We were fortunate to host such an accomplished and inspirational group of career presenters: Larry Goldman, Lee R Garza, Bernadine Virani, Marc Levine, George Demacopoulos, Nellie Cooper, Jorge Badillo, Gillian Russo, Kathy Demacopoulos, Maria Owens Fajardo, Camara Aaron, Felicia Sobhani, Colleen Staunton, Peggy Angello, Mariella Mercado, Lissette Duran, and our own Lamour Workman from the MS343 cafeteria.

Thank you again to all of our guests for supporting MS343 and helping open our students' eyes to the many potential career paths awaiting them. We are deeply appreciative!