Range hosts Rally Forward
The Class of 2020 has had a senior year unlike any other – milestones like graduation, prom and sports and academic recognition events canceled, postponed, or held online.
Range Resources and the Washington County Chamber of Commerce rallied around area high school seniors on Wednesday at #RallyForward, a virtual event that celebrated students and connected them with regional business leaders and government officials to offer guidance, career advice and support during an uncertain time.
“All the things you do in your life will lead you to where you’re supposed to be,” said Chase McClain, director of marketing for the chamber of commerce, who told students he planned to major in psychology at Slippery Rock University, but switched instead to sports management on orientation day.
He worked in baseball, including a stint with the Altoona Curve, and professional golf, where he worked on the PGA tour for eight years, before he moved to Washington County and began working at the chamber.
His “strange and winding career path,” he said, led him to his current job, where he was forced out of his comfort zone and, ultimately, found fulfillment.
The hourlong event was moderated by Laural Ziemba, director of public affairs for Range Resources.
It kicked off with music and a video by DJ A.J. Fresh and included gift card giveaways throughout.
Other panelists were Rep. Natalie Mihalek, R-Upper St. Clair; Megan Chicone, a State Farm Insurance agent; Ryan Schwotzer, president of Crossgates Inc.; Callie Fry, operations engineer for Range Resources, and Brandon Mendoza, executive director of NAIOP.
The panel shared their experiences about how their career paths evolved from when they were in high school to where they currently find themselves, and talked about failures and what they learned from them.
A poll taken of the student participants during the event showed that 41% feel excited about the future, while 31% are optimistic, tied with 31% who feel nervous.
Mihalek, who served in the U.S. Navy and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and Appalachian School of Law, talked with high school senior Katy Hardy, who will attend Purdue University to study electrical engineering in the fall, about the challenges of being in a male-dominated field.
She was selected to the Navy’s elite nuclear power program, where women comprised about 1% of the workforce and worked in the Allegheny County District Attorney’s office.
“You’re going to find your own way to get through it. I developed a sense of humor, I suppose to deflect the comments and being in that environment,” said Mihalek. “You’re going to build up a natural thick skin and protect yourself.”
Chicone told students their career might not end up being what they think it is going to be right now. She planned to be a broadcast journalist, but a college internship helped her realize she didn’t want to pursue that career track.
She ended up working in the insurance field, a third-generation insurance agent. Chicone opened her own agency in 2011, and recently opened a second location.
“I don’t think anyone wakes up and says, ‘I want to be in insurance someday,” she said, but noted she finds the work exciting, interesting and fulfilling.
Chicone talked about the importance of asking questions, building relationships and mentoring.
“Many many people throughout my career have helped me on my professional journey, so it was important for me to be here today to pay that forward,” she said.
Schwotzer said he enjoyed building Legos and K’Nex when he was young, and has fond memories of traveling to sites with his grandfather, a real estate developer.
“It was in my blood,” said Schwotzer.
But, he said, not everybody knows what they want to do when they’re in high school.
“It’s OK to change your mind about what you want to do,” he told the students.
The panelists also warned students they would encounter failure, but said they will learn from it.
Mihalek described losing the Senate seat she ran for before she was elected to the House of Representatives.
“It was devastating. Just getting through those initial weeks and months, knowing you failed, it’s hard coming out of it,” she said. “But I was thankful for not getting it. I know I’m meant to be where I am now, and I wouldn’t be if I’d won. It’s hard to see in that moment; you just have to give it some time.”
Mendoza acknowledged the unique circumstances high school seniors find themselves in, and congratulated them on graduation.
“This is a major milestone in your lives. I know this isn’t an ideal situation, but you guys have been forged by the strongest of flames,” he said. “You and your classmates have a bond that will be stronger, and I ask you to hold onto that and to utilize that. It’s a unique thing that you have.”