BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer
Students from Freehold High School and Freehold Township High School are looking more favorably at their future.
With the help of a new career awareness program developed by the Freehold Rotary Club in conjunction with guidance counselors from the Freehold Regional High School District, sophomores who are considered to be at risk are gaining insight to the many career opportunities they may have open to them.
“The program is to encourage sophomore high school students to continue on to graduate from high school,” said Jack Marin, chairman of the Rotary Club’s Career Awareness Program. “We take them around and show them the job opportunities that are available to high school graduates.”
Marin, a certified public accountant, recalled his year as a sophomore in high school, wondering what he would be doing in the future. He said he had no idea what jobs were available and besides, his life at the time was filled with other things like stickball, softball and biking. He said he had concerns about what he would do to earn a living.
But today, Marin said, students can get help and with the cooperation of several businesses in the area which have opened up their doors to the program, particularly CentraState Health Care Services, the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office and the Asbury Park Press, students can look ahead and see some of the opportunities in the job world.
“This is strictly a volunteer effort on the part of the businesses and they are not compensated in any way,” Marin said. “They have allowed us to bring the students in and show then around and they basically gave the students a tremendous background of job opportunities that are available to them.”
Marin said there was a total of 29 students involved from the two high schools.
Marin thanked guidance counselors Howard Grush and Amy Remishofski of Freehold High School, and Conrad Rieder of Freehold Township High School for their cooperation and efforts throughout the program.
“We are also trying to put together a mentoring program and to provide tutoring,” he said. “We are also enlisting the aid of several businesses who are willing to give them an internship, either during the summer or after school hours.”
Marin said he hopes the plan will offer students who are interested in a particular internship or vocation a chance to become more involved.
“The students really enjoyed the four-month program,” Rieder said. “Next year we would like to extend it to a year-round program. We are looking into the possibility of creating volunteer and job shadowing positions as well as allowing this year’s students to act as mentors for incoming participants.”
Grush said, “The program offered a wonderful opportunity for students to learn about a variety of jobs available in areas that they never knew existed. This program offers a rare opportunity for students to observe real people in their work environment and to speak with them about their careers, job duties and requirements.”
Remishofski said, “CentraState Medical Center was very generous in allowing their staff to meet with the students. There are so many career opportunities available at a hospital that the students never thought about before.”
Rotary is an international organization of business people who are committed to community service There are 30,000 Rotary Clubs in 136 countries. On the local level, the Rotary Club donates about $20,000 each year to community organizations in Freehold and the surrounding areas.

