High school students in Fort St. John, B.C., got a crash course this week in life and work after graduation.

For the last decade, the Grow Our Own event has matched students from North Peace Secondary School with career mentors to talk about their jobs, schooling and the perks of staying and working in the north.

“The reality is that Fort St. John needs professional people,” said Jeff Mayer, work experience coordinator for School District 60.

About three dozen students rotated through 15-minute speed mentoring sessions with people working in high-demand fields ranging from healthcare and education to engineering and business.

“It’s not a brochure and it’s not a website,” said Megan Edwards, a registered nurse who’s worked locally in maternity care for the last 10 years.

“It’s meeting a person who’s living, breathing, practicing in whatever their career choice may be.”

Mayer says recruitment and retention are constant challenges for many industries in the region.

He wants students to meet people working locally in the fields they’re interested in, before going out into the world to get the training they need.

“Living in the north is tough,” he said.

“People that have grown up here are pretty tough, and so what we need to do is encourage those tough people who are used to the wonderful area up here to go away and get their training and come on back.”

Mentors at the forum included veterinarians, realtors, lawyers, police officers and firefighters.

Grade 11 student Madicyn Turry was eager to meet with a nurse practitioner to learn more about the post-secondary education she needs and what to do now to prepare.

“I really want to help people,” Turry said. “I want to make an impact on our society.” 

Grade 12 student Elizabeth Binu has applied to four universities, including programs in biochemistry, nursing, and engineering. But she’s not sure yet which path to take.

“I haven’t connected with a career yet,” she said, saying the event was a great opportunity to network and get out of her comfort zone.

“I believe I’m going to have to at least talk to people who are in the profession or be in school, be in university to see what I truly want to be.”

Shannon Stange, who works with entrepreneurs to develop their businesses through the Northern Innovation Network, says helping students navigate uncertainty is part of the fun.

“That’s the one thing you’re trying to help students realize, that there’s a path each one of them can take that would be very meaningful for them to walk in.”

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