 Can simply being happy and loving your job make a difference in the lives of students? Absolutely! The partnership between USKH and West High proves it.
The West High school business partnership class begins each semester by pondering a quote from Thoreau: “Most men live lives of quiet desperation.” They discuss the desperation people feel when they don’t have enough choices in life, or when they are unhappy with their jobs. Sadly, many of the students have seen the effect of this desperation in the adults in their lives.
Enter USKH. These employees are happy! They love their jobs and their choices. They are gainfully employed young men and women, and the students pick up on it instantly. On a field trip to USKH, one student exclaimed, “These people really like their jobs!” Students witness, first hand, how empowering it is to have choices. The USKH field trip is a wonderful experience for the West students.
One of USKH’s values is to promote good corporate citizenship. Perhaps it was because of this that they sought out a partnership with West High School in 2006. Since then, they consistently send representatives to school functions, including Parent Night, the Career and Technology annual field trip to Seward, the School Business Partnerships class Partners Panel Presentation, and mock interviews.
When USKH decided to help the Library Board of Anchorage request more funding for the local library system, they enlisted West students in a letter writing campaign. It was an excellent lesson in political activism, as students had to identify their voting district and state representatives. Students were elated when they received responses from their legislators, and many went on to write Governor Palin as well.
USKH is a willing, active, and happy business partner. And that makes all the difference!
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Left to right Victoria Funner, Daniela Moreno, Sarah Hartman learn about the job of Karthik Murugesan, Civil Engineer in training. |
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