At the Kenai Veterinary Hospital on Tuesday, the morning opened to a busy schedule of surgical appointments. Standing in the operating room were three high school students.

They were there for Kenai Central High School’s Job Shadow Day, a tradition at the school running for over 25 years. The event is a collaboration between the school and the Kenai Chamber of Commerce where students are connected to local businesses to spend a day shadowing jobs paired to their career interests.

Jade Mann, a counselor at Kenai Central, said Tuesday that around 25 businesses participated this year and over 100 students in their 11th grade shadowed jobs in the community. Participating businesses and entities included the Kenai Fire Department, Kenai Police Department, Kenai Aviation, Central Peninsula Hospital, the National Guard, Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association, Kenai Peninsula Driving Instruction, JMJ Tax Relief and others.

Among the participants was the Peninsula Clarion, which hosted two students who conducted their own interviews, took their own photos and wrote this story.

In the school cafeteria early Tuesday morning, students gathered around tables labeled for each participating business. They met their hosts and snacked on coffee and doughnuts before Kenai Central Principal Dan Beck dismissed the group and the Kardinals flooded out around town.

Holly Koroll, from Kenai Veterinary Hospital, said they were showing the students a “typical day” at the vet. That means opening the day with surgical appointments — scheduled early in the morning to allow the animals to return home in the afternoon — followed by outpatient visits.

“We had surgery this morning,” said Dr. Emillie Ficek, one of the veterinarians at the facility. “We had a spay — a little kitty from the shelter, and I neutered a dog that ended up having a heart murmur that we found out about this morning.”

That direct, hands-on experience is why Liam Floyd, the recruitment and development coordinator at the chamber, called the event a “great opportunity” for local students. He described the logistical hurdles of bringing businesses on board and connecting them with students, but said the work was worth it to provide “a snapshot glimpse” to students of the professional world looming before them.

“It’s low risk,” he said. “You’re not committed to more than a day. It’s not a long-term internship. It’s not a job where you’re going to get a paycheck. … There’s so many positives to it.”

Ficek echoed that sentiment. She says that Job Shadow Day is a chance for interested students to see the realities of the job. They might get a better idea of whether they “truly want to be in this profession or not.”

Mann says the job shadow is valuable, matching students with jobs relating to a career they’re interested in and seeing if it is a profession they really want.

“It does allow the student to understand the world of work,” Mann said. “It gives them an idea — if this is the actual career pathway they’re interested in pursuing.”

Michelle Duffield and Aleaha Searl are Kenai Central High School students who spent the day shadowing Peninsula Clarion news reporter Jake Dye. He can be reached at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.

Michelle Duffield interviews Liam Floyd at the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center in Kenai, Alaska, on Job Shadow Day, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. (Aleaha Searl/Peninsula Clarion)

Jylann Green, Aaliyah Bookey and Isabel Thomas watch Dr. Curt Wisnewski as he shows off some x-rays at Kenai Veterinary Hospital in Kenai, Alaska, on Job Shadow Day, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. (Michelle Duffield/Peninsula Clarion)