Career Day Provides Hands-On Experience

Kindergartner Jillian Gibbs had thought that she might want to grow up to be a firefighter. Then came her turn to operate a fire hose, and she realized that firefighters have to get wet.

“I’m wet,” she complained, as she waved her arms to dry them. She confided later that she plans to pursue her original goal of being a princess.

It was part of career day Friday at Welby Way Elementary School in West Hills, as about 70 speakers from various professions talked to the students about their jobs.

Many students got hands-on experience, including Jillian and her classmates, who were shown how to operate 1-inch hoses used by the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Most of the speakers were parents of students at Welby, a LEARN school. Having moms and dads come in during career day, an annual event at the school, is part of the LEARN philosophy of getting parents involved in their children’s education, said Fran Jasper, a special education teacher at the school.

Kathleen Quinlan, who was nominated for best supporting actress in “Apollo 13,” was one of the speakers. A friend, Gina Armfield, is a student teacher at Welby. Quinlan told students about the ups and downs of an acting career.

When she started acting, Quinlan said, “I was rejected at least 40 times a year” for parts. “Now, I’ve got it down to four [a year]--and I’ve been in this business 20 years.”

That didn’t discourage Jason Allen, a fourth-grader who is interested in acting and in the technical side of filmmaking. “You shouldn’t worry about stuff like that until you’re really in it,” he said.