Earlier this month, students from Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center visited Accenture/Acquity Group for a career site visit. Accenture has hosted several career site visits for students since the launch of Lumity’s STEM career readiness program.
Who better to describe the experience than students themselves? As usual, the day began with an introduction and tour of the office.
“The tour was great! I love the open environment. We were able to openly share our ideas and grow on it with the help of others. This is a great workspace because we are able to show our creativity,” explained Vanessa Arriola, “When we went on the tour, it was interesting to see how everyone was in their own station and how each section of the facility changed.”
Jessica Navarro also enjoyed the tour. “[The tour] offered me insight on the work of a typical web designer. One of the things that stood out to me was the wall of creativity posted near the entrance that allowed anyone to pitch an idea.”
Several students commented on the atmosphere and interaction between employees they observed. “I enjoyed seeing how people worked together and the comfortable office environment,” said Karina Lyszczarczyk. Mayra Jimenez added, “I loved how everyone had their own project to work on in a very relaxed environment but still were professional at the same time.”
Michelle Aguirre had no problem picturing herself in an office like this one day, “[The] highlight of the tour was talking about the office environment, such as the Halloween fashion show that happened the Friday before. It seems like such a nice relaxed environment. It made me excited to one day work in a place like this. We even got to meet two workers that were doing coding and they honestly seemed to really enjoy their work.”
During the visit, students participated in a project with the help of volunteers. They had to identify problems within their school and offer solutions to fix the issues.
“The onsite project was fun because were able to discuss problems that very much affect our daily lives. Also I found that the problem-solving process is a very important skill that we all must have to be successful at any job,” Jimenez said.
Navarro mentioned communication was a big part if it. “The on-site project was very engaging and gave us good solutions for problems we noted in the school. Also, we learned how to effectively communicate our ideas.” For Lyszczarczyk, it offered an experience she doesn’t always get at school, “The project showed me ways to work in a group and problem-solve with others.”
Moises Peralta appreciated Accenture/Acquity Group hosting the students for the day. “They made us feel comfortable to ask questions and helped us be more comfortable with our classmates that went on the trip.”
Lastly, Mr. H, the teacher who visited with the students, said this about their reaction to the experience: “They were all excited about the experience. Exposing more students to the work environment and the expectations opens their eyes to the real world. It helps them understand why schools have rules such as wearing IDs, punctuality, verbal expression, deadlines and group work. Imagine if every student had this opportunity.”
Jimenez agrees, “There should really be more opportunities for high school students like this because you learn a lot. At my level of education…it is hard to know what it is that you might want to study. Opportunities like these could guide us in choosing a career path more in lined to our desires.“