West New York Middle School Career Fair Speaking Opportunity

I was looking through all of the photos of this summer and couldn't help but feel so blessed to have experienced some pretty cool and new things outside of my usual event planning realm.  A few months back I had the awesome opportunity to serve as a speaker/presenter at the West New York Middle School, thanks to my awesome motivational speaker and published author friend -  Eliana Reyes.

here she is taking a quick cameo opp with humpty :)

As you can imagine I was so excited and completely scared out of my mind - when I jumped at this opportunity.  I've never spoken publicly in front of large amounts of people before, and for some reason teenagers seemed like a very intimidating crowd to please! Thankfully with her help and encouragement I was really able to connect with the students and find out what their fears and concerns were about the future. I completely embraced the opportunity and really think I inspired and motivated them to think outside the box by telling them my own story, and also asking thought provoking questions about what they truely like doing - and are REALLY called to do in this world.

In addition, there were SO many different kinds of presenters from all walks of life like.. engineering, dance, accounting, photography, nursing, and even law - to name a few.

Here we are with Aracely -  presenter at the conference, new friend, poet, aerospace engineer for Lockheed Martin,
woman of God, and owner of LGLG (Let Go and Let God) a professional teeshirt and branding company.
Getting to know her really opened my eyes to the possiblity that we can pursue 1 or even more than 2 dreams at once! 

We were all assigned a number and our very own table to display our work and swag. Instead of showing pictures from my portfolio and brochures - I thought the students would benefit more from a real example of what one of my dessert tables look like and how I go about designing one - from the moment I meet a client and set up the day of.  They really enjoyed the humpty dumpty table and were blown away at how personal events can be. If you missed the spread for the Humpty Dumpty shoot you can catch it here.

The Petite Soiree's little table :)

TPS balloon lollipop swag for the students and other presenters to enjoy while they heard about children's planning and design.

I made this top hat basket (almost like the one humpty is wearing!) , out of  a baby formula can -  black ribbon -  and poster board... to carry my swag in while I strolled through the fair.  

Surrounded by engineers, professors, accountants, lawyers and other super accomplished people - at first I felt like the underdog. However to my surprise, I was shocked to find that creativity is not an easy feat and its really appreciated by others who aren't in that kind of field. We ended up being one of the most busy and popular tables at the career fair with about 50 kids at one point! (I think the goodies might have had something to do with it too.. ). Our table was one of the most vibrant and fun, and I think deep down inside that's what we all want to experience in work.  I was so happy to not only have been able to talk about entrepreneurship as a career option - but to also dispel some myths about our field too. I explained to the students and other presenters that events are not just about creating the biggest and best party as some of the popular media may portray, but instead to create a memorable everlasting celebration that captures the story of the child and milestone in the family's history.

Ironically, I went into the career fair intending to inspire - but instead left incredibly inspired and motivated to do more - in my business, in my community, and with my own children. Speaking really is one of those out of this world experiences and  I can't wait to do it again next year!

"Nothing compares to having a creative vision, and seeing it come alive. It has the magical ability to tell a story, inspire, awe, and commemorate a moment -  that will only happen once in your life."
- Me, on Event Planning & Design as a Career.

How about you?
Did you have any people or experiences that inspired you to take your chosen career path?
If you're in the event industry - do you feel people have the right view of event planners & designers?

I hope you enjoyed my little recap. I'd love to hear your thoughts below.

xo



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The Petite Soiree is an NJ Event Design + Planning co. dedicated to creating custom tailored, hip events, as unique as you are. Dig our style + event-forward approach? Have us design + plan your next custom event!