Become a Volunteer Speaker!
We’re looking for community members who want to share their expertise, knowledge, or talents with Humboldt’s high school and college students!
The HCOE Education at Work program, in partnership with Cal Poly Humboldt, College of the Redwoods, North Coast Cal-SOAP, the Arcata and Eureka Chambers of Commerce, and local Rotary clubs, are collaborating to bring community guests into local high school and college classes using distance learning platforms.
Virtual classes offer teachers an opportunity to bring a wide range of community guests into their classes to meet and share information with students. Community members are encouraged to submit a biography to share. Teachers will contact you directly if they would like to schedule a visit into their classes.
To submit your information, please fill out the form below.
Career Speaker Series Volunteer Signup
Career Speaker Video Archive
The Career Speaker Series began with panels of local business leaders and others sharing advice with students. We recorded several of these hour-long panels and condensed them down into shorter highlight videos.
Theme: Life Skills
“How to Study the Future, Change is the Only Constant Now!,” offered by Ken Hamik.
Futurists are people who actively view the present world as a window on possible future outcomes. They watch trends and try to envision what might happen. Ken Hamik is a former business C.E.O. and top executive for Trader Joes, PG&E, and several engineering and biotech firms internationally. He has a Masters Degree in Strategic Foresight from the University of Houston. Ken will share the tools, skills, and methods to help your students use “futuring” to intentionally think about their own lives and trends in the world.
Recommended for 9 – 12th grade, or college students
“Rocking your Job Interview,” offered by Kirk Girard.
Whether you are applying for a part time job during high school, or an executive position 20 years into your career, there are certain principles and strategies that can help you to be your best during a job interview. Kirk Girard is an Environmental Engineer and a former planning director for Humboldt and Santa Clara counties. He has interviewed dozens of job applicants during his career, and has interviewed successfully for opportunities as well. Kirk will share tips, scenarios, and examples to help your students understand how to be prepared and do well in any job interview.
Recommend for 9 – 12th grade, or college students
“From Arcata High School Cross Country to Traveling the World as a World Class Triathlete,” offered by Mike Pigg, Coldwell Banker Cutten Realty
With grit, hard work, and unwavering determination, Mike Pigg turned a love for running during high school into a seventeen year long career as a professional triathlete. Never an overly gifted high school athlete, Mike used goal setting, personal drive, nutrition, and relentless training to travel to races in 25 countries and compete at the highest level in the world. Mike can discuss potential, personal goal setting, finding a career that you are passionate about, and what it is like to be a professional athlete with students. High school and college student athletes of any grade level will find Mike’s story particularly motivating.
Recommend for 9 – 12th grade, or college students
Job Readiness Skills
How to get and keep a Job
Shelley Nilsen, Business Owner
(707) 2681866 | shelley.nilsen@expresspros.com
How to complete an application, write a resume, apply for work; what to consider regarding where to apply; in demand fields; how to interview and follow up; how to be a good employee; how to communicate across different generations in the workforce
Career & College Resources Cordinator: Tanya Trump | 707-441-4555 | ttrump@hcoe.org
Available Videos
Advice From High School Students (Pt. 1)Advice From High School Students (Pt. 2)Advice From College ProfessorsAdvice From Latino College GraduatesAdvice From Business LeadersArt CareersFood Industry CareersPublic Safety CareersHealthcare Careers (Pt. 1)Healthcare Careers (Pt. 2)Teaching CareersFirefighting CareersEntrepreneurial CareersTrades IndustryRenewable Energy
Education at Work Initiatives
