Building a future

While Griffin Graehl quickly flipped through a book of wall coverings Friday morning, Eagle Valley Middle School classmate Mavil Diaz perused it two and three times looking for the perfect shade for her bedroom.

"I'm thinking about which ones would look good in my room," she said. "I like the green ones."

About 140 eighth-graders at the school were visited throughout the day by interior designer Doreen Mack, who spoke to students for 20 minutes about an interior design career.

"If you want to do something trendy, put it on a pillow," she told science teacher Tod Jenning's class. "That way, the (owners) don't have to go back and do it over later."

Thursday and Friday, career leaders in the fields of interior design, drug and alcohol counseling, firefighting, paramedics, entrepreneurship and the sheriff's office spoke with students.

"We try to get the kids to start thinking about what they're going to do," Jennings said. "We're trying to get them to start thinking. Four years from now, they're going to be ready to graduate from high school."

Eighth-grader Jesse Albin is doing just that: thinking about his future and how to accomplish his goals.

The career presentation awakened an awareness in him and his goals now include becoming either a firefighter or a designer of homes.

"I learned there are good jobs out there if you get past high school," he said. "I want to go to college and possibly join the Navy like my dad."

Every year career specialists come to Eagle Valley to talk about their professions to eighth-graders. As Mack spoke, all eyes focused on the samples of fabrics, fringe and tassels she showed them.

Mavil enjoyed the interior design presentation and thought it could be a fun career because of its creative side, but Griffin thought otherwise.

"I think it probably would be tough," he said. "You'd have to plan your money right. And if people didn't like what you did, you would have ruined their room."

n Contact reporter Maggie O'Neill at moneill@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.