On October 18, the day after the dreaded PSAT testing, all Freshman Academy students set out on a field trip to the annual Academy Expo, located at Mercy Health Sportscore Two.

   “The purpose of the field trip is to allow students the opportunity to explore different career pathways,” said Mr. Amish Shah, assistant principal of the Freshman Academy, in a school-wide email. “Along with opportunities to assist them in choosing a Career Academy for the next school year.” 

   Before the students got on their buses, however, the day began with their assigned teacher (which was determined prior to the field trip) putting up a video call in which many Freshman teachers were in attendance on the Smartboard. Many electives were advertised, such as Graphic Design, Hospitality, and Introduction to Productions, among others. After each class hour, the students got the chance to have a five minute break in the hallways. The purpose of this was to get Freshmen thinking about what they’d like to engage themselves in during the next school year, and to get them thinking about what booths they’d potentially like to check out once they arrive at the Expo. 

   Once all of the presentations were over, it was time for the Blue Group to depart from their classrooms to the cafeteria. The Silver Group had already left by this time due to their alternative schedule. After the lunch hour came to a close and the bell rang, wristbands were checked, and in no time, students were on the buses. The trip was a short six mile long journey. The buses parked and the students exited them once they had arrived at Sportscore Two. There, they were greeted and welcomed by the staff members, and they sat down on bleachers inside of the large indoor soccer field. Mr. Shah started off the annual Expo with a short speech and pep-talk, encouraging kind and respectful behavior towards the booth workers so they could be named the most respectful school that visited the Expo for the third time in a row. Earning that title would lead to a pizza party for the entirety of the Freshman Academy.

   After Mr. Shah’s speech, the students were dismissed and began to enter the large room where all of the booths were located, starting first with the Service Academy area. The first booth visible was one for the Midway Village Museum, which featured antiquities from a past era, including a helmet from World War II. Near it were many other booths for education opportunities with the Rockford Public School District, ranging from daycare teaching, STEM education, and potential pathways to become a teacher for grade schools. Beyond that, there was a booth for the Rockford Police Department, with their wacky waving inflatable tube men that has been a consistent addition to their booth throughout the years. 

   “My favorite booth in the Service Academy section was the Beef a Roo truck,” said Peyton Hawkins, freshman. “I won a free 12 ounce shake that I could redeem, which was cool.”

   Once it was time to move on from the Service Academy section, all students made their way to the Production Academy area. From robotics to metal recyclers to aeronautics, there were booths that at least sparked one person’s interest at least a tiny bit, whether it be the actual knowledge of learning about a new career, or getting free Nature Valley granola bars from the General Mills booth. 

   The next section of the Expo was the Business Academy area, featuring potential career opportunities for those more so interested in entrepreneurship. A booth where students drew line-drawings of a person’s face was present, along with a news van with cameras outside where students could simulate news reporting.

   “My favorite Business Academy booth was for tattoo artistry,” said Xavier Watts, freshman. “My mother has a bunch of tattoos, and I want one too eventually, so it was really interesting to learn more about it.”

   The final section of the Expo was the Health Academy area, which featured many booths with demonstrations on what each medical field does. CPR was taught at certain booths, even on a dummy which was missing a leg. A veterinary booth was also there, which had animal organs within jars, which was a sharp contrast to the dog they had presented, which many students got the chance to pet and meet.

   When it was time to go home, the students got on the buses and took the short drive back to the building. By the time they made it back, the day was over, and the buses were ready for students to be picked up.

   “The trip was really fun,” said Nas Hammonds, freshman. “I got a lot of free stuff and I thought that made it even better.”