“Don’t be surprised if your mind changes early and often,” Dean of the College of Education C. Kent McGuire told students from George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science and the Science Leadership Academy.


The 10 students were visiting Temple as part of WorkReady Philadelphia’s Shadowing Day, a citywide initiative organized to provide Philadelphia high school students with a one-day career exploration experience.


The students were pleasantly surprised by McGuire’s message of an often circuitous path to success, which was echoed over and over again by a wide range of speakers, including Rachel Brown, senior director, Career Center; Stephanie Gillin, associate vice president and chief of staff, Provost’s Office; and Timm Rinehart, admissions consultant and former associate vice president of enrollment.


“These ninth-graders are at the perfect age to begin thinking about college and careers," said Betsy Leebron Tutelman, senior faculty advisor to the provost and

communications professor who organized the day at Temple and served as moderator. "We are reaching out to them early enough for them to take advantage of the opportunities they can find at Temple or at another university. Part of Temple’s mission is to connect to the community and help young students of promise chart their paths to success.”


At the first session, Rachel Brown advised students, “Your major doesn’t necessarily matter. It’s what you do with it.”


Also addressing the issue of majors, Stephanie Gillin said, “You might change your major five times before you graduate. Don’t hesitate to explore your options and enjoy yourselves.” Gillin began her own college journey as a physics major, changed to English, and is now chief of staff to Temple’s provost.


The day radically changed the ninth-graders’ perspectives of college and careers.

“I didn’t know that people could change their major. I thought if you chose a subject you just had to keep moving with it,” said Li “Charles” Zhenan, a G.W. Carver H.S. student who is considering psychology as a major.


Another G.W. Carver H.S. student, Paulena Senouthai, was also quick to grasp the message. “Maybe I’ll be a chef, a designer or some sort of writer. I don’t know, but that’s why there’s college to prepare myself,” she blogged.


At the end of the day, Susan Jacobson, assistant professor of communications, taught students how to blog as a way to process their experience. (The results can be found at www.templeshadowingday.wordpress.com.)


Along with blogging and talks by faculty, staff and administration, the day also included a tour of the TECH Center, a campus tour, an all-you-can-eat buffet at Johnson and Hardwick and mentoring by a group of Temple honors students.


Mesmerized by the mentors, one of the visiting ninth-graders asked, “How did you get to be so successful?”


“I’m not successful yet, but I’m confident because I like what I’m doing. College is about finding what you want to do,” said Gannett Cassidy, a junior film major whose goal is to produce children’s programs like "Sesame Street."


Anthony Torrance, a ninth-grader from Science Leadership Academy, was quick to identify the things he loves — dinosaurs and astronomy.


“Well, then maybe you’ll do something related to those passions, but something more specific… Just have at it. You’re never a failure if you can learn from it,” said Nick Daly, a senior film major who, after studying abroad in Argentina, combined his interests in communications and media with his love of anthropology and linguistics.


Already, the inspiration seems to be leading the young students to action.


“When I get home, I think I might look up some more information on this college,” blogged Amber Singles, a Science Leadership Academy student, who is thinking about becoming a psychologist or social worker.


And that’s the goal, because as Timm Rinehart told students, “As a city and a nation, we’re counting on your generation to go to college. We need as many educated people as we can get.”