By Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
An army serviceman in his camouflage rested outside his tent in a mock campsite on the grounds of Trapnell Elementary School. He was visiting Trapnell for the Great American Teach In, a county wide program where parents and community members come to elementary, middle and high schools to talk about their careers and how they got to where they are.
A firetruck and tow truck showed up to rev their engines for the students. A zumba instructor taught some fast fitness dance moves. Even a couple of news reporters showed up to talk about writing, photography and snap a few pictures.
Fourth-grader Jaylen Wharton’s favorite speaker was the zumba instructor.
“I like basketball and I want to go to the NBA and some NBA players do zumba,” Wharton said. “I was confused the whole time though with the dance moves.”
Fifth-grader Keilah Gadson liked the serviceman.
“He used a lot of words I didn’t know, so it was neat to find out what they mean,” Gadson said.
Gadson wants to be a hydrologist and hopes next year someone will come to talk from the math and science field.
“I think it’s a really interesting job and they help the community because they have to make sure the water is pure,” Gadson said about hydrologists.
“It was cool to see all the different careers,” fifth-grader Vincenzo Interdonato said.
Interdonato’s favorite speaker was an architect which showed the students two hotels he helped design and some houses.
“It’s interesting to see how they build things,” he said.
Besides the Plant City Observer interviewing students, the students also got a chance to interview each other after learning a few tricks of the trade.
Both fourth-graders, Sakeria Burney asked Clodaijah Thomas about her experience with the Great American Teach In.
“What was your favorite part?” Burney asked.
“Zumba,” Thomas said.
During the interview, Burney learned that Thomas wanted to be a singer and liked Beyonce and Drake and the rap genre.