On Friday, April 1, BG’s sophomores, juniors and seniors heard from more than 30 Guertin alumni at the annual Career Day.

BG grads returned to host sessions about their careers for the sophomores and juniors, while the seniors heard a presentation by speaker Joe Raczka, of the Class of 2002, about dealing with college costs.

Several weeks before the event, sophomores and juniors filled out a survey to choose which sessions they were most interested in attending.

One session was on media and communications, hosted by Tim Paiva, of the Class of 1981. Paiva earned a degree in journalism from Marquette University and is a technical writer for Phillips Healthcare.

His journalism career began while he was at BG, when his athletic director encouraged him to start writing sports articles for the Nashua Telegraph as a junior. Later in his career, he covered sports at the University of New Hampshire and reported on the 1996 Olympics before leaving the newspaper business to pursue technical writing.

Paiva’s main advice for BG students interested in pursuing a career in journalism was to "always think what you do is important." Although he shared stories of challenges he has faced in his career, he explained that what can initially seem like failure can bring new opportunities. "That door slamming shut in my face … brought me to this position," he said of one instance.

Another session that students could attend was about careers in education. It was hosted by Lorrice Bedard, Mount Saint Mary Class of 1986; Amy Crisp Young, Mount Saint Mary Class of 1987; Matthew Bartos, Bishop Guertin Class of 1994; Ron Fussell, Bishop Guertin Class of 1992; Ron Russo, Bishop Guertin Class of 1981; and Emma Lessard Plumley, Bishop Guertin Class of 2008.

All six BG grads had different experiences to share with their audience, from working with kindergarteners to teaching AP Literature. Fussell, formerly a vice principal at BG, is now the associate superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Manchester.

Fussell recently earned his doctoral degree in interdisciplinary leadership from Creighton University. When explaining his choice to become a teacher, Fussell said the job isn’t about the titles. "It’s really about service and building those relationships with the kids."

The other sessions BG students attended included accounting, graphic design, business development, engineering, psychology and law, among many others. After the career sessions finished, the whole school listened to a presentation by Brendan Keegan, Class of 1987, on managing everyday anxiety and making the most of the opportunities that BG offers.

Career Day provided an opportunity for BG students to learn more about fields that interest them from professionals who have been in the same position. It was an informative and entertaining program that gave the whole school insight into what lies in store after BG, and one of many examples of BG’s strong relationship with its alumni.

Holly Boivin is a sophomore at Bishop Guertin High School.

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