BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — Hundreds of students at El Camino Real Elementary School learned about exciting careers at an inaugural college and career fair on Thursday.
While the students are more concerned about the playground than their future conversations at the office water cooler, school administrators said it’s never too early to start encouraging kids to think about their future.
The gathering brought together more than 30 working professionals from across Kern County to teach students about their career journeys. Eyewitness News was proudly invited to attend the career fair.
“Obviously, we come from a small community,” said Lupe Calderon, the school’s principal. “They know the basic career paths, but we’re trying to get them to beyond and explore different career paths.”
According to data from the California Department of Education, about 89% of students at El Camino Real were classified as socioeconomically disadvantaged in 2025. The state categorizes a student as socioeconomically disadvantaged if their household is of low income, or have parents/guardians that did not graduate from high school.
Calderon hopes events like these can empower these kids to aspire for a better future.
“More importantly, we’re starting to kind of plug in their little minds that ‘hey, there’s things that I can go and I can do. I can explore’,” Calderon said. “If this is going to deter them from making bad choices and potentially going to the right path, then it’s definitely an event worth hosting.”
Administrators are planning to host this event at a larger scale next year with the hope of it becoming an annual event that kids look forward to.