Teaching Today Wisconsin announced on February 22nd, 2021, the winners of their annual Dream Career Essay Competition.

The 2020-21 winners include six Arrowhead students, three of which have been given the title of winners — Colin Wright, Lauren Porter and Megan Reetz — and another three given the title honorable mentions — Kaia Lofy, Greta Harms and Bobby Lemke.  All winners and honorable mentions are currently seniors at Arrowhead.

Students who won received $200 each, while the students who received honorable mentions received $75 each.

“I have offered this writing opportunity to my students in Creative Writing for a few years,” English teacher Elizabeth Jorgensen said. “I was so pleased to see so many of my students selected as winners.”  

For the essay competition, Reetz, a winner of the essay competition, wrote about an injury inflicted upon her in a sport that she loves.  In part of the essay, she states “my physical therapist helped me to learn and grow not only physically … she helped me to discover my love for both medicine and caring for others.”  Reetz discusses her strong love for science and her dream to become a medical researcher.

Lemke, an honorable mention in the essay competition, wrote about his interest in math and accounting and about going to college for a business degree. He wrote, “I don’t believe in the idea that money is everything in life, but more how it’s important when it flows through the world and its different economies, as well as the several different types of jobs and people involved in making this cycle of money run. “

Harms, another honorable mention, wrote about the pressures of her mother asking what her plan would be after high school, and the possibility of pursuing her dream career in fashion.  She wrote, “at the age of seventeen I now know I am brave enough to express myself and inspire. My dream is to show others that being different is beautiful. To be able to inspire those to step out of their comfort zone and be who they truly are.”

Lofy, an honorable mention, wrote about her realization that volleyball may not be a career opportunity for her, and finding her passion for the care of babies. She wrote, “My passion for babies stemmed from always being around babies and wanting to take care of them to the best of my ability. I went through all the careers to find how I could best help the most babies and landed on NICU nursing and labor and delivery nursing.”

Wright, a winner, wrote about his love of cars since he was little and interest in designing cars.  He wrote in his essay, “I don’t know a lot about this profession yet I am still very drawn towards it. The great thing about engineering is how universal it is. Once I get my degree in engineering I will be able to apply it wherever I’d like and if I have the opportunity to move into the automotive field that would be great.”

Porter wrote about the constant change in dream careers as time passes.  She wrote, “when someone asks me, ‘Lauren, what do you want to be when you grow up’ or ‘Lauren, do you know what you want to study’? My response, ‘As of right now….’ By using these words, I’m giving myself the opportunity to keep my doors wide open.”

Sue Casetta, Director of Learning at Arrowhead High School, says, “To read about the passion students have for what they are doing next after high school, I love it. I especially love the variety showing all pathways our students are on. Well written pieces.”

Debra Paradowski, Associate Principal at Arrowhead, says, “I am so incredibly impressed by [this] writing accomplishment! I truly enjoyed reading [the] essays. I laughed, and I smiled as I read through them and thought about the sports injuries I have had, working with my grandparents on projects, picking a college, figuring out my finances, and thoughts on various careers and job changes.”

Teaching Today Wisconsin is a publication for current national, state and local developments in education and highlights from programs and curriculum of Wisconsin and Minnesota schools.