Successful entrepreneurs and business leaders from Oakland County will take the stage at Lake Orion High School March 15 to give students – and perhaps their parents – a 90-minute primer about careers they didn’t know existed doing or making things they never imagined possible at salaries that may excite them.
The program – Oakland NEXT: A Future You Didn’t Know Existed – is a pilot for what is expected to be replicated in other high schools in Oakland County. It features a series of speakers whose jobs allow them to do what they do virtually anywhere in the world and they’ve found their success in Oakland County. It begins at 6:30 p.m. at Lake Orion High School, 495 E. Scripps Road in Orion Township.
“There are so many high school-age students who don’t know what they want to do when they leave school and graduation is right around the corner for them,” said Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, who is attending the event. “They wonder if college is right for them. Should they learn a trade? Is there a job for them somewhere? We’ve got a panel of young entrepreneurs and business leaders who had many of those same questions not so long ago and they are thriving in their careers.”
The program poses the question to each of the students: Are you Oakland’s next … oncologist, engineer, mechanic, programmer or business owner? It’s not a high-pressure sales pitch but rather a chance for students to hear real-life experiences that can help them make more informed decisions about careers that are actually in-demand and available in the marketplace.
Lake Orion schools officials said their students will gain valuable insight about future careers.
“We’re very excited to partner with the county to launch the Oakland NEXT program at Lake Orion High School,” said District Superintendent Marion Ginopolis. “As educators, we want to see our young people succeed after graduation. The evening will be full of valuable information and thoughts from business leaders throughout the area. I’m sure our students will embrace their guidance as they prepare for their futures and explore various in-demand career options.”
Oakland NEXT is one of five committees of the Oakland County Business Roundtable. Oakland NEXT created the program as a way to give students career advice – based on the experiences of committee members – and informing them of the opportunities that exist in Oakland County.
Many of the speakers scheduled to appear at the event are members of the County Executive’s Elite 40 Under 40 program. They include:
• Elaina Farnsworth is a keynote speaker at the forefront of global trends and has the unique ability to transform impossibilities into possible realities. She is CEO of Mobile Comply and a
recognized expert in the field of connected and autonomous vehicle education including related cyber security. Her expertise in training and certification launched the only connected vehicle certification program with SAE International and the Connected Vehicle Trade Association.
• Hajj Flemings is a brand strategist, author and keynote speaker. He is CEO and founder of Brand Camp University, the largest personal branding conference in the Midwest. His client list includes: Walt Disney, Pitney Bowes, Pfizer, the Detroit Lions, the U.S. Department of Defense, Iowa State University, University of Michigan - Ross School of Business, Davidson College and the University of Detroit.
• Jennifer Llewellyn is manager of Oakland County, Michigan Works! and oversees the eight Michigan Works! service centers in Oakland County. She was formerly director of the Michigan Works! Troy service center, which assisted 38,000 visitors and over 700 businesses on average each year. In 2010 she established the Oakland County Works Business Services team, which served over 1,100 companies with various talent needs and helped attract and retain 28 Oakland County businesses, including Dokka Fasteners, Witzenmann USA and U.S. Farathane.
• Megan Mahoney is global key account manager at BASF. She is responsible for growing BASF’s market share globally, delivering quality products and support to General Motors. She is an active fundraiser in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Michigan. She is a graduate of St. Mary’s College, University of Notre Dame and has a graduate degree from Kettering University in operations management.
There is no charge to attend the program, which is open to the general public. Students who attend and register will be entered into a drawing to win cash scholarships sponsored by HOUR Media and Quality Metal Craft. Those who attend will have an opportunity to meet the speakers after the event. More information can be found at OaklandNext.com. Connect on Instagram @OaklandNext or use the hashtag #OaklandNext.
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