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Devereux Pennsylvania Career Day event helps youth craft a vision for the future

“Be curious … and be interested.” 

“Don’t be afraid to take a risk. If you believe in something, go for it.” 

“The only person responsible for your happiness is you.” 

“Don’t let other people define you – define yourself.” 

These were just a few words of wisdom and encouragement more than 40 high school students received during a “Career Day” event at The Devereux Pennsylvania Children’s Behavioral Health Services (CBHS) center in Glenmoore, Pa. 

In March, four members of the Fairview Presbyterian Church in Glenmoore – John Gyrath, Dennis Lesher, Larry Parr and Hob Pusey – shared insights into their careers and provided the high school boys with a glimpse into opportunities available to them as they envision their future. In addition to imparting information about their personal career paths – including successes and challenges – the visitors’ presentations focused on life lessons, being an underdog, coping with career transitions and setbacks, and life as a federal government employee. 

“Our Career Day event was a huge success. The kids were very excited and they learned a lot from our gracious presenters,” said Devereux Pennsylvania CBHS Education Director Pam McCullough. ‘As a result of today’s event, I hope our boys see a future for themselves, and that there are so many opportunities in different fields.”  

The importance of ‘going for it’

As the youth rotated through each of the four presentations, there were many lessons to be learned. For example, during Berkshire Hathaway real estate agent Hob Pusey’s remarks, he discussed the importance of your personal “brand” and not being afraid to fail.  

“I think the most important thing for these kids to take away is to know there are opportunities out there for everybody,” he said. “If you want something and believe in it, go for it. Don’t be afraid to take a risk, and don’t be afraid to fail. Just keep moving forward.” 

Pusey continued: “I loved this experience. I really enjoyed hearing questions from the kids and learning more about their career aspirations.” 

Engaging the community  

Devereux Pennsylvania CBHS Executive Director Dr. Rhea Fernandes, said the event was another step in the center’s efforts to build meaningful relationships with community members.  

“Fairview Presbyterian Church is part of our community and we are so grateful to our neighbors for taking time out of their day to visit our high school students and share their immense knowledge,” she said. “Our campus is focused on better engaging the community so they can understand Devereux’s mission, who our children are and why they are here. In turn, we want our youth to view themselves as members of this wonderful community – with the responsibility for being productive and prosocial members of the neighborhood.” 

Sharing her thoughts about the Career Day event, Fernandes added, “These men (from the church) are positive role models for our boys. They were very open about their personal career successes and struggles. During the presentations, common themes I heard were about resilience, perseverance and optimism – all of which are crucial for our kids. Our guests all faced challenges, and it was wonderful for our students – who have suffered traumatic experiences in their young lives – to hear how these men overcame these challenges to become successful and positive human beings.” 

Learn about Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health.

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