Katelyn Umholtz | The Valdosta Daily TimesPine Grove Middle School held its Third Annual STEAM Career Day recently with more than 45 vendors present. 

VALDOSTA — Pine Grove Middle School hosted its Third Annual STEAM Career Day with more than 45 vendors present to showcase career options to students.

Some of the booths included veterinary clinics, Moody Air Force Base divisions, police units, makeup artists and local colleges. If the industry fell under science, technology, engineering, art or mathematics, they were there.

“Today is about exposing them to careers right here in Lowndes County,” Principal Ivy Smith said. “When they think about art, they aren’t necessarily thinking about makeup or landscaping. It’s an opportunity for them to explore all aspects of STEAM education.”

From 8 a.m. to lunch time Feb. 15, students jumped from booth to booth petting iguanas, jotting down degree information, trying on drunk goggles or watching a Life Flight helicopter land.

The information is not just important for students considering their career paths, Smith said. It’s part of the STEM certification process, which Pine Grove Middle is currently going through.

“It’s a four-year process, so part of this initiative is to expose students to partnerships in the community,” Smith said.

Northside Animal Hospital was one of the vendors. It has had a booth at the event since the inception of STEAM Career Day, said Dr. Myron Graham, veterinarian.

“We just love the interaction we have with the kids and teaching them about preventative care for animals,” Graham said. “The kids have a lot of questions that we can answer for them as far as if they have an interest in going into veterinary medicine.”

Graham said it’s important to make children of all ages aware of career options, especially those careers that are right in their backyards.

“It’s never too early to start trying to decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives,” Graham said. “This may be the first time some of these kids have been introduced to veterinary medicine as an option for study in college as a future career. It’s an awesome career, and this opportunity just lets the kids ask any questions they may have.”

Katelyn Umholtz is a reporter with the Valdosta Daily Times. She can be contacted at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256.