And employers a look at potential employees
Staff writer
The reasons Marion High School students do work studies with Marion employers are about what people would expect.
It’s a good insight into a potential career — a lot can be observed in an hour a day, which is about the amount of time each of the four Marion seniors in the program this semester have with their work study employers.
It’s good experience.
For example, Emmali Kelsey believes that she has a head start on the road to becoming a dental assistant.
“I’ll be way ahead,” she said. “Naming the surfaces with cavities. The number of teeth; just the little things will help me out in other offices.”
But, the reasons prospective employers would want students do a work study are more varied.
Dr. Gerald Vinduska has had five girls work in his dental office, including Kelsey this semester. He strives to make sure that he can give students as much of a real glimpse into the job as possible.
“I think the main thing is to make sure they realize the seriousness of the business,” he said. “It’s not a glamorous job. I guess some people think it’s a nice clean setting — everybody is happy to come to the dentist. It’s tedious. I don’t paint a rosy picture. If dentistry is for them, I try to give them a real world experience.”
A work study with Vinduska is a give and take. On the one hand, he makes students work. Kelsey was given a book usually given to incoming dental assistants to study. She was then given periodic tests and homework. Sometimes the tests are written questions she answers like a quiz. Others are more impromptu situations. For example, Vinduska may have a patient with his mouth open and he would ask Kelsey, to identify the teeth.
“Dr. Vinduska does a fabulous job with these students,” Mark Meyer, who is in charge of the program, said. “She’s been super prepared.”
On the other hand, students with Vinduska are allowed to get hands on experience with patients. While they are not allowed to do cleanings and other intensive work that falls to the dental hygienists, they are allowed to assist whenever possible. Kelsey has helped with rinsing and air suction during cleanings.
Kelsey is planning on attending Salina Area Technical College for a nine-month dental assistant program. A dental assistant is different from a hygienist; a dental assistant position involves more paper work, and less work with patients. Kelsey said that she would be willing to work for a while and then go back to school to become a hygienist.
“I went to the dentist a lot when I was a kid,” she said. “I just got my braces off two years ago. My mom would always say just wait, your teeth will be pretty. It makes me want to give people pretty teeth.”
While Kelsey endures her share of paperwork with Vinduska, Nick Klenda and Lee Vogel have no other choice. Klenda and Vogel are working with the Marion Police Department and because of the danger involved with police work there is a limit to what they are allowed to do.
They have helped with accident and junk car reports and have run radio traffic, but mostly they have shadowed officers to learn about the job.
Partially because of this limitation, Marion Police Chief Josh Whitwell has different reasons for participating in the work study program. One reason is to give Klenda and Vogel a glimpse at the job, but part of it is also about building relationships with students and the community.
“We’re people, too,” Whitwell said. “We enjoy having them around. It’s fun having kids around the office wanting to learn.”
One of the things that Whitwell is trying to teach Klenda and Vogel is that there are different ways to do the job based on a person’s preferences and strengths.
“A lot of guys may want to run traffic, more experienced cops look into problem solving — you don’t have to be a hard cop all the time. One person might be out constantly looking for a DUI,” Whitwell said.
Even though small town police officers have to do a little bit of everything, different officers have different specialties. Whitwell specializes in drug enforcement and child crimes.
Assistant Police Chief Tyler Mermis also knows drug enforcement, but he is also the range master — “He really knows firearms,” Whitwell said — and he has spent time as a canine handler.
Wil Case is working with Case and Son Insurance under the tutelage of his father, Casey Case.
Before students can take part in a work study, a board of teachers at Marion High School — including Meyer, Jim Versch, Myrta Billings, Lucas King, and Roger Schwab — must approve an assignment. Meyer and the other members have to be certain students aren’t participating in the program just to get out of school.
Case has the opportunity to join the family business after graduating from school. The work study is a soul-searching experience for Case to see if he would like working in the insurance industry.
“The main reason I did it was to see if I enjoy it,” Case said, “to see If I wanted to do it. I know it’s been here a long time. My dad’s great-great-grandfather started it.”
Case’s duties have mostly been organizing and filing claims.
“I like it. It’s been a good experience,” Case said. “I don’t know if I want to do it for the rest of my life.”
Case’s predicament partially illustrates why Vinduska, Whitwell, Webster’s Auto Service, Arlie’s Body shop, The Animal Health Center, Prairieland Partners, and other Marion businesses have had students work in their offices: to find home-grown employees.
As much as Vinduska tries to paint an unglamorous picture of his job, all four of his past work study students have gone into careers in dentistry and two students have come back and worked for him.
“A lot of them are willing to help out students,” Meyer said. “Maybe students will come back and work with them.”