Seeing shadows: Students get on-the-job lessons

<p>While some people on Groundhog Day watched to see if the famous Punxsutawney Phil could see his shadow in Pennsylvania, members of the Phoenix Job Corps Center shadowed employees Feb. 2 at ASU's Downtown Phoenix campus as part of the 10th Annual National Job Shadow Day.</p><separator></separator><p>The day was created to give business students of Phoenix Job Corps a glimpse into real-world jobs and to see firsthand how the skills learned in school relate to what they may be doing in the future.</p><separator></separator><table border="0" cellpadding="8" width="102" align="right"> <tbody><tr valign="top"> <td width="300"><p><img src="http://www.asu.edu/news/stories/200703/images/20070314_shadow.jpg&quot; alt width="300" height="232"></p><separator></separator><p class="featureblurb">From left, Phoenix Job Corps students Meseret G. Gemeda, Antoinette Greer, Charlie Harper, Elmina Jim, Mohamed Ndayishimiye and Jarte Saru pose for a photograph outside of the Arizona Center.</p><separator></separator></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p>This is the second year that Pit Lucking, a volunteer services coordinator with University College, has facilitated ASU's participation in this national event.</p><separator></separator><p>“I chose to participate in the event because I miss the interaction with the students,” says Nellie Andrade of the Downtown Phoenix campus' student affairs office. “I also feel that a positive work experience for young people can influence lifelong skills or attitudes that they will carry with them the rest of their lives.”</p><separator></separator><p>Besides Andrade, students shadowed ASU staff members Cookie Ellis and Cynthia Ramirez in the provost's office; Laura Ellis, coordinator of residential community education; Christina Q. Hernandez, coordinator for new student programs and traditions; Rhoshawndra Carnes in the student affairs office; and Dora Valentine and April Johnson at Residential Commons, the residence hall serving Downtown Phoenix campus students.</p><separator></separator><p>“Participating in a shadowing program can give a student an up-close experience of working in the provost's office,” Ramirez says. “I believe it's also a good way to introduce the students to ASU and show them what our school has to offer.”</p><separator></separator><p>“Our trainees really enjoyed themselves and had nothing but positive things to say about their experience,” says Erika Thrower, career transition specialist from Phoenix Job Corps Center .</p><separator></separator><p>The center is a national training program whose mission is to assist young adults by improving their education and teaching them the skills needed to seek employment and be independent.</p>