In today’s world where educators, counselors and administrators are diligently working to provide quality  education to all students, there is an even greater need to ensure ALL students have an advantageous path after graduation.

By starting exploration early, students are able to see the world of options open to them. Career exploration experiences and opportunities can improve academic performance and students' knowledge of available career options, encouraging them to develop and work toward goals during the critical years when they are also beginning to venture beyond the orbit of their parents.

Join us on Tuesday, October 27th as we bring together a panel in a roundtable discussion to share how they have created and hosted Virtual Career Fairs. From getting started, formatting, and onboarding business partners, to student participation and outcomes.

No matter where students are in their exploration, we can all help them on their journey to one day obtain their goals.

Facilitator:

Dr. Don Fraynd

Don is an experienced educational leader and has served in the roles of teacher, principal, and Chief School Improvement Officer. Upon completion of his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Don accepted a position as principal in Chicago Public Schools (CPS), and under his leadership, his school was rated one of the top 100 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

Later, he co-founded TeacherMatch, a research consortium focused on helping districts make more effective hiring choices. Don is now excited to help schools and districts transform their communities by empowering students with the Transeo community service platform.

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Meet the Panelists:

Sabari Raja  

Sabari is the co-founder and CEO of fast growing, Austin-based edtech company, Nepris Inc., a first of its kind cloud-based platform connecting industry and education to inspire students through real-world connections and career exposure.  She has worked in education technology for over 18 years, leading product and content strategy, business development, publisher relations, and emerging market growth strategies. She is passionate about working with educators to translate their needs into scalable technology solutions. Sabari is on the board of Friends of Texas Public Schools(FOTPS), Workforce Solutions of Central Texas and Champions board of Texas Girls Collaborative. She has special interest in engaging girls and minorities in STEM and also speaks on the topic of entrepreneurship and education technology at such venues as SXSWEdu, Smartbrief, TEDx and TCEA.

Sabari has an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from India, Masters in Computer Science from Louisiana State University and an Executive MBA from Cox School of Business, SMU. She lives in Austin, Texas and is also a busy mom with 2 teenage boys.

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Michelle Luraschi

Michelle is the College & Career Preparation Coordinator and Counselor for Pattonville High School, a public high school located in St. Louis, Missouri.  In this role, Michelle assists 1800 students with their career and post-secondary pathway exploration, planning, and implementation. Prior to coming to Pattonville, Michelle worked in various educational and career counseling roles, including, Associate Professor/Counselor at Southwestern Illinois College, Career Counselor at Washington University, and Associate Director of Career Services at Webster University.  In addition, Michelle contributes to the profession through several professional committees, including serving on the Missouri Association for College Admission Counseling (MOACAC) Executive Board as the statewide College Fair Co-Chair and on the Professional Development Committee for St. Louis Graduates.  

Recently in response to COVID-19 restrictions across Missouri, Michelle and her MOACAC Co-Chair, Andrew Laue of Webster University, led the creation and launch of Missouri's first-ever virtual college and career fair, the 4 week "Show-Me My Future" fair. Michelle is a National Certified Counselor, National Certified Career Counselor, and has her M.Ed. in Community Counseling, with additional certification in Secondary School Counseling.

Kari Keefe

Kari is the co-founder and Executive Director of Hire KC & the KC Social Innovation Center. She works passionately to leverage technology to design and develop quality, inclusive, accessible education and impact programming in Kansas City. Kari has been instrumental in bringing the IEEE Smart Core Cities project, LRNG digital badge platform and Village Capital’s VilCap Communities - education innovation and edtech sector accelerator programs to the KC region. She serves on KC Digital Drive’s KC Education Innovation team, Cristo Rey High School Technology Advisory Committee, PREP KC TechStart Academy Advisory, KC STEM Alliance EcosySTEM Advisory Council, and is a member of the Kauffman Foundation’s Education Innovation Task Force and the Forbes Nonprofit Council.

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Cherie Clark

Career and College Manager Cherie Clark works to build partnerships between the Willamette Education Service District, the regional workforce, and over 30 school districts. Over the past five years WESD has been working with educators, workforce, and industry professionals to understand the challenges that come with a rapidly changing economy, fueled by constant changes in technology, delivery systems, and innovation, in addition to a strong competitive and global marketplace. Navigating this challenge leaves employers, educators, and students struggling to balance the current needs of building a workforce while preparing for future workforce readiness skills and abilities.

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Chase Nugen

Career sales professional and leader Chase Nugen joined Belton Schools with a passion for helping students access real life experiences in high school. The district is in its second year working within the Ford Next Generation Learning (Ford NGL) framework to transform Belton High School and add wall to wall academies and work based learning.

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