Oak Park and River Forest High School hosted the first Jewish Professionals Day in the school’s history April 28. Organized by the student leaders of the Jewish Student Connection club, along with Community Outreach Coordinator Tyrone Garland and the Office of Equity and Student Success. The event brought 24 professionals from various Jewish backgrounds to speak to the student body about life after college and finding one’s career.

The professionals represented careers ranging from doctors to lawyers to journalists. The event consisted of small groups with a few professionals in each, with students rotating through the groups.

Each person came with their own unique story, telling students about the difficulties and successes they experienced throughout their lives and how they overcame them.

Brian Hammersley was one of the many professionals who spoke at the event. Hammersley is the principal and founder of Hammersley Architecture. As part of his introduction slideshow, students learned that outside of work, he enjoys cycling, cooking and producing music. One of the many pieces of insight he shared with the attendees was, “My creativity has found its way into everything that I’ve done.”

Regarding the importance of hosting OPRF’s professional days, including Jewish, Black, Arab, Hispanic and more, Garland said, “The reason we have professional days of any sort here at OPRF is that we really need to have students start thinking about life after college or whatever their plans are. By hosting professional days, we give them the opportunity to meet people who can tell them about real-world experiences.”

Alana Herrington, a junior and one of the nearly 200 students who attended Jewish Professionals Day, said, “I took away that although there are moments when I experience micro-aggressions or moments when other people doubt me, I know that I can continue to be successful and achieve the career I want.”

Herrington and several other attending students reported that hearing from real people with years of experience is vital when thinking about future careers.