Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians
Special to Valley News
The annual career and college fair for Noli Indian School students in grades 6-12 delivered a few changes from past years, including a record number of vendors to share information. Counselor Seandee Brown surveyed the students to find out what type of careers they would like to learn more about. This allowed her to contact community businesses that would be most popular during the Sept. 25 event.
Brown said her main goal while coordinating the event was to create an atmosphere that allowed the students to have exposure to a variety of options, just like a public college and career fair offers. “After seeing the list of available vendors, the students commented on the fact that I listened to their responses on the survey I conducted,” she said.
As the purpose of the day was to light a fire under the students, vendors were encouraged to share what they do, what their day-to-day looks like, and to answer questions about any aspect of their industry. Another new addition this year was the ability of students to mingle with as many vendors as they wanted to, with no time limit.
“Thank you for being here to share and educate our students,” Noli teacher Sonia Modesto told the vendors. “We appreciate your input.”
The entire student body attended at the same time, divided into two sessions with a short break in between. They were free to visit any table of interest to them, and there was plenty of movement among the 60-plus tables set up throughout the Soboba Sports Complex gymnasium. A few representatives, such as the Soboba Fire Department, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, and a few branches of the military, were stationed outside the building.
Legacy Bank’s Business Development Officer Cyndi Lemke and CEO Bill Nethercott explained financial literacy to students who stopped at their table.
Lemke said the questions varied by age range, with older students asking about the type of education needed to get into the banking business and younger ones asking about the types of accounts they could open. She said many were surprised to learn the bank is owned by the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians. This fact provided a vested interest to those young people who are also Tribal members. Please visit www.legacybankca.com for more information.
PNC Bank Branch Bankers Tracie Bannister and Zulema Carrasco shared the fact that their bank offers a great summer internship program opportunity for college students, in conjunction with Cal State San Marcos.
The Native American Lawyers Association of San Diego was represented by its president, Angela Medrano, a Cahuilla Tribal member. She shared the many programs that are offered through NALA, which was established in 1995 for professional development, networking, and support of Native American lawyers and Indian law practitioners. For more information, https://nalasd.org.
Trade schools focusing on nursing, cosmetology, and other fields were popular among the students who expressed interest in how long it takes to become certified and/or licensed.
Entrepreneurs piqued the interest of students from all grade levels. Cynthia Rodriguez opened Cynthia’s Sweet Treats in 2022 and has recently expanded by adding two more locations through Tim Moran Chevrolet and Ford dealerships in Hemet.
“The majority of my business consists of custom orders,” Rodriquez said. “We also specialize in catering to all dietary restrictions, which makes us unique.”
Rodriquez graduated from the Art Institute of California and spent two years as chef at the Soboba Tribal Preschool. For more information, https://cynthiasweettreats.co.
Another fair favorite is Stylish Culture with Anthony Trujillo, who is a Noli Indian School alumnus and talented graphic designer. He focuses on Native design and fashion that runs the gamut from coloring books and greeting cards to backpacks and T-shirts.
The self-taught artist began his family-owned and operated business with the support of his family while he was a high school senior. He has recently connected with the Bonsall Unified School District who plan to incorporate his Native Traditions coloring book into their schools’ lower grades. To learn more, please visit https://stylish-culture-clothing.square.site.
For those looking for a way to combine their love of animals with a future career, Riverside County Department of Animal Services representatives shared the types of paths they could take. Volunteer Michelle Martinez explained that the San Jacinto Animal Campus seeks volunteers who are 16 and older to help with a variety of daily tasks, from taking photos of adoptable animals to feeding them and doing laundry. She pointed out that their time would count as community service hours, a common high school graduation requirement, while teaching them about the industry.
Cecilia Olivares has been on staff with RCDAS for about 10 years, stationed at the San Jacinto location for the past four months. She explained to students that there is an array of duties for those who want to dedicate their time to animals of all shapes and sizes.
Julie Freeman, who serves as Dance department chair at both Mt. San Jacinto College campuses, shared how students do not need to be dance majors to benefit from taking classes, but that there are a lot of career pathways in the field if they so choose.
Dance offers transferable and marketable skills for everyone. Freeman explained that communication and confidence are enhanced through an expressive body and that collaboration and critical thinking skills are a key part of the subject.
Lucia Napolez is a project analyst who was sharing all the great opportunities at San Diego Miramar College. She provided information about the Native Resource Center that recently opened as well as the fact that Miramar is the only community college that is offering certificates and degrees in the field of Diesel Technology. It also offers courses in aviation technology.
She wanted students to know that once they are sophomores, they can apply for dual enrollment, which is paid for by the state. “If they are diligent, they can earn an associate degree along with their high school diploma,” Napolez said.
A Bingo game added to the excitement of the afternoon. With cards containing generic topics such as entrepreneur, finances, and medical, students had to seek out representatives and ask a pertinent question to get their Bingo square initialed. Because of the wide array of careers and higher education offered, it was not difficult for them to quickly complete their cards.
