Sparking a Summer of Exploration

When my best friend, Kathy, told me she was taking her daughter, Brynn, on a college tour to

the University of Miami, I knew my daughter, Breana, and I had to tag along. Breana was just

12 years old at the time and in middle school. Brynn was 16, a junior in high school, and much

more suited to be looking at colleges. I just thought the tour would provide some good exposure

for Breana too, even if it was a little bit early. Little did I know that that tour would shape the

trajectory of her life.

While at the University of Miami, we toured the broadcast journalism studios and spoke to

professors. As Brynn fell in love with the program and prospect of a career in broadcast

journalism, so did Breana. God used that moment of exposure to give her a vision for her

future. She decided at that moment that she would study broadcast journalism at the University

of Miami and become a TV reporter, and that’s exactly what she did.

Guiding our students to their future career starts with moments of exposure. We must take

them places and introduce them to people associated with several career paths to expand their

knowledge of some of the things that they can be. Exposing children to a variety of career fields

from broadcast journalism to medicine to careers in STEM and business shows them endless

options and helps them start to explore career paths that align with their interests.

That’s the reason why Breana and I wrote our latest children’s book,

“Exploring What I Can Be from A to Z”

The book follows the main character, Isaiah, as he figures out what he wants to be

when he grows up for a school presentation. As he explores careers from A to Z, Isaiah realizes

that there’s no limit to what he can achieve! This book inspires kids to think beyond the usual

job choices and consider careers in STEM, business, public service, and other fields they may

not have imagined. We expose them to careers like entrepreneurship, investing, real estate,

medicine, dentistry, journalism, game designing, computer engineering, politics, law, and so

much more. The story encourages children to dream big, think creatively, and explore the many

ways they can make a difference in the world.

In addition to exposing children to a variety of careers, it’s good to identify your child’s strengths

as you start to think about careers for them. Breana has always loved to write and tell stories.

She excelled in her reading and language arts classes. She’s always enjoyed talking to people

and had a fearlessness when speaking to crowds from a young age. She also enjoyed doing

pageants, acting and modeling. That’s part of the reason I thought broadcast journalism may be

a good field to expose her to. What are your child’s strengths? What comes natural to them?

What subjects do they excel in? What do they enjoy doing? Together, you can research careerfields that incorporate those things. As a form of summer enrichment, here are three things you can do with your child:

●You can have them read about and research one new career field every week

●You can have them draw pictures associated with a new career field

●You can plan field trips to places that tie into a career path your child may be interested

in. For example, if they love animals and express an interest in zoology, you can plan a

trip to the zoo. If they’re interested in being a firefighter, you can call your local volunteer

fire department and see if you can schedule a tour.

As we expose our kids to different careers from a young age, we provide opportunities that

could spark interest. We provide space for God to give them a vision for their future, vision that

can shape the trajectory of their life.

Contact Info:

●Website: www.dbross.com

●Instagram: Personal: @breanarosstv ; Book: @iamaffirmedbooks

●Facebook: Personal: Breana Ross, Denise Ross; Book: I Am Affirmed from A to Z