One of Irvington’s longest-held traditions is the senior QUEST project. Meant to introduce seniors into a more formal research and interviewing process, QUEST has prepared generations of Irvington students for college and their future careers. Though the project is primarily available to most students, students enrolled in the Special Day Class program are able to complete a different project: Career QUEST.
Like the Special Day Class (SDC) program itself, Career QUEST is meant to prepare students for more vocational occupations in the future. Over the course of senior year, SDC students are able to research their desired career fields, work alongside mentors, and log service hours to build experience in the professional world.
The primary SDC teacher, Mr. Zhao, emphasizes the work that goes into a project like Career QUEST. Students are made to step outside their realm of comfort and are encouraged to set up their own interviews, provide their own questions, and begin to understand their own aptitudes and career ambitions. Similar to the progression of due dates and source checks in QUEST, Career QUEST was designed to break the main project into 25 smaller assignments that that make the project more digestible over the course of the year. Other teachers in the SDC program also ensure that students stay on track and have ample support and structure to follow.
The topics that the students “One of the most impressive projects this year was focused on the topic of social work. I felt proud knowing that the student who worked on the topic of social work was able to join an organization and work alongside experts to serve the community. Some students also put together incredibly detailed presentations and research reflections,” said Mr. Zhao.
Experimenting with and experiencing firsthand the work that goes into future careers that SDC students was the primary objective of the project. Students are always encouraged to avoid doubt when it comes to choosing a topic, and focus more on the surveying and research practices. Mr. Zhao emphasize this stating, “If you just hear about a career and never talk to anyone in the field or experience it, you will never know what it is about, or even if you are interested in it.”
One student who completed the project, Aaron Palacios (12), expressed his fondness for the project. “Working with a local food bank, Centro de Servicios, being able to hand out food and clothing, and getting people connected with social workers was really meaningful to me. Seeing myself and everybody around me working so hard to ensure that the community had what it needed made me more interested in the field of social work,” Palacios said.
Palacios did note that the workload was a bit difficult to handle at first. “Researching, working on source checks, and setting up all these interviews really prepares you for college,” he said. Older cousins and Irvington alumni that he have met outside of school have all agreed that the skills built during QUEST follow long after graduation. “Not many other high schools do these kinds of projects, so doing all of this work gets you ahead.”
Carlos Lopez (12), another student who completed his Career QUEST, expressed similar feelings towards the project. “Before the project, I was really scared of speaking on big stages and in front of audiences, especially when the presentation is graded; Career QUEST kind of eased me into the process of rehearsing and presenting. Part of what also made it easier were the due dates. My teachers were always willing to help and kept me on track assignments-wise.”
Both students agreed that Career QUEST was incredibly collaborative as well. Since many students that complete Career QUEST have been in the SDC program since their freshman year, the teachers who work with them are more knowledgeable about their habits and keep their work focused. Palacios noted that his friends also helped keep him accountable for completing service hours.
For students in the SDC program, Career QUEST serves as a starting point to explore future ambitions that they have. By the time each student presents their project, they have formed a new sense of confidence in the skills they have developed through all the hard work done previously. No matter the track, Irvington’s QUEST programs continue to harbor confidence and clear direction for all senior students.
