Fort Pierce Yacht Club Foundation hosts 3rd Annual Chart Your Course Career Expo
The Fort Pierce Yacht Club Foundation hosted the 3rd Annual Chart Your Course, a maritime and marine industry career expo at the Fort Pierce Yacht Club and Fort Pierce River Walk Center. In attendance were 103 students from St. Lucie Public Schools – 25 students and teachers from St. Lucie West Centennial High, Fort Pierce Westwood Academy, and Samuel S. Gaines Academy of Emerging Technologies; 28 students and teachers from Forest Grove Middle School; and twelve students from Fort Pierce Project Lift. The focus of this event is on career exploration, sharing industry insights, and providing students with what may be their first networking opportunity.
Welcoming the students as they arrived were City of Fort Pierce Mayor Linda Hudson, City of Fort Pierce Commissioner Curtis Johnson, Jr., along with FPYC Commodore Steve Jaroski. They were joined by City of Fort Pierce Police Chief Diane Hobley-Burney along with Major Eric Chan. Students were escorted through the exhibits and demonstrations by 40+ dedicated volunteers from the Fort Pierce Yacht Club.
Seventeen businesses, large and small, from Fort Pierce and St. Lucie County sent representatives who talked with students about who they are, what they do, the types of jobs they offer, the range of educational experiences required – from none to master’s and doctoral degrees – and, equally important, the attitudes needed in the workplace.
Through demonstrations, presentations, exhibits, and engaging face-to-face conversations, the students gained valuable insights. They engaged with an underwater diver (in a 1500-gallon mobile training tank), an independent charter captain, US Customs Border Protection officers on their vessel, and representatives from trade and higher education schools to name just a few.
The panel discussion titled, “How to Get There,” highlighted the career opportunities of the presenters and educational paths of what courses the students need to take and what the schooling options are, if necessary, for the students. Moderated by Joshua Revord, St. Lucie County Director of Port, Inlet & Beaches, our panelists included Ken Griffin, President of Underwater Engineering Service, Inc.; Second Class Petty Officer Jacob Snyder, United States Coast Guard; and Captain Don Welch, Chapman School of Seamanship. The panel discussion, along with supportive handouts from the exhibitors, allowed the students to discover the optimal career path for them and can lead to helping them achieve the goal of getting their dream job.
Chart Your Course is a maritime and marine career fair, not a job fair. While job fairs are focused on filling current vacancies, this event is designed to connect students with opportunities and long-term careers in the maritime industry. “Chart Your Course is looking toward the future, the future of our youth and the future of our ever-so-important marine industries here in Fort Pierce and St. Lucie County,” said FPYC Foundation Chairperson Robynn Holland. “This is the Fort Pierce Yacht Club Foundations’ contribution to the workforce readiness initiative that is so prevalent in the marine events on the Treasure Coast.”
In attendance supporting Chart Your Course from St. Lucie Public Schools were Dr. Helen Wild, Deputy Superintendent; Troy Ingersoll, Vice Chairman, BOE; Debbie Hawley, BOE; Jennifer Richardson, BOE; Aliesha Seitz, Director, Career & Technical Education; Dana Caputo, Program Specialist; Dr. LeiNitia Robinson, Program Specialist; Paul Lankow, Program Specialist; Douglas Simpson, Multimedia Graphic Artists for Media Services; and Stephen Devlin, Multimedia Graphic Artists for Media Services. The FPYC Foundation appreciates the support of all those who took the time to experience this event and speak with the students.
This year, thanks to a successful fundraiser held in November 2024, enough money was raised to purchase long sleeve performance shirts for the students, each school having their own color.
The Fort Pierce Yacht Club Foundation thanks all the industry professionals who shared their career experiences with the students and to the 40+ members of the Fort Pierce Yacht Club who voluntarily assisted in the coordination of the event. We are truly fortunate to have such a generous community!
To learn more about the Fort Pierce Yacht Club Foundation, visit www.fortpierceyachtclubfoundation.org.
About FPYC Foundation: Fort Pierce Yacht Club Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and donations are tax deductible. Founded in 2018 as the charitable arm of the Fort Pierce Yacht Club, it has raised money by hosting various events including a community participation On the Water Poker Run.
Chart Your Course Maritime and Marine Exhibitors and Panelists (alphabetically):
• Bowman Consulting
• Chapman School of Seamanship
• Ecological Associates, Inc.
• FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
• Fort Pierce City Marina
• Fort Pierce Police Department Marine Unit
• Freedom Boat Club – Fort Pierce
• Indian River State College
• Marine Industries of the Treasure Coast (MIATC)
• Pullin Drag Charter Fishing
• Pursuit
• Shearwater Marine FL
• St. Lucie County Port, Inlet & Beaches
• TowBoatUS Fort Pierce/Vero
• Underwater Engineering Services, Inc.
• United States Coast Guard
• United States Customs and Border Protection
Chart Your Course Career Expo Sponsors:
Big Dipper Sponsors
• Fort Pierce Yacht Club
• Robynn and Steve Holland
• Project Lift
Orion Sponsors
• Kathy and Forest Blanton
• City of Fort Pierce
• Fort Pierce City Marina
• Ginny and Bob Harbison
• Ruth and Steve Jaroski
• Marine Industries Association of the Treasure Coast
• Kris and Carl Muus
• Laurie Partlo
• St. Lucie Public Schools
• UPS Store #4314 St. James Place – Jason Hendry
Milky Way Sponsors
• Anonymous
• Bowman Consulting
• Fort Pierce Utilities Authority
• Diane and Mitch Korbey
• Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice
• Shearwater Marine FL
• Underwater Engineering Services, Inc.
• Wawa
• Jean Ellen Wilson
• Suzy and Doug Wroten
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