Junior Sophia Colwell thought she wanted to work in physical therapy. After attending a UPMC field trip at Acrisure Stadium, she found a better fit.
“At first I wanted to do physical therapy, but it is seven years of schooling,” Colwell said. “I decided that I probably didn’t want to do the amount of schooling for physical therapy, and I looked into imaging.”
On the field trip, there were different tables with information on various medical careers offered at UPMC.
“It’s much more helpful to get a chance to look at colleges and explore more job fields you might be interested in,” Colwell said.
The field trip was organized by Cassidy Cooper as part of her new position as the new Future Pathways Facilitator for Baldwin High School, based in the library. Cooper said she is happy to have this new opportunity.
“It’s really exciting to take on something brand new and shape it into something amazing,” Cooper said. “I had been a classroom teacher for eight years, and after COVID, I realized that I was ready for something different.”
Cooper attended Duquesne for her undergraduate degree in Secondary Education/English and obtained her Media Specialist Certification through the University of Maine online.“Ms. Cooper’s position is trying to get people out of the school to experience these other opportunities that are out there to enrich their lives,” Principal Shaun Tomaszewski said.
The library has always been a place where people can check out books as well as have club meetings and study hall, but Cooper is looking to add more.
“There will always be books on the shelves for students to read and explore new ideas, but it should be so much more than books. The library should provide our school community with space where students, faculty, and staff can come together to share ideas, ask questions, and showcase learning,” Cooper said.
Junior Emma Underwood spends a lot of time in the library, and she is happy about the upcoming plans.
“I spend two periods in the library every day,” Underwood said. “I look forward to it being used more and being updated.”
The goal is to make the library more of an active space for students and staff to connect. For students, many career readiness opportunities will be available. Part of Cooper’s new role is to help get teens ready for their lives after high school.
“I am collaborating with the school counselors and other teachers for other opportunities for students over the course of the school year, and I’m really looking forward to all of the possibilities,” Cooper said.
The school already has many efforts to prepare kids for their careers, but the goal will now be more focused.
“The school counselors, through Xello and other touchpoints, have been trying to develop kids’ awareness of what future opportunities are out there and how to set yourself up for success to access those future opportunities,” Tomaszewski said. “A lot of that exploration is now going to be married with activities up in the library.”
Cooper works with partner organizations such as The Challenge Program and Catalyst Connection to schedule events for students. In addition to working with these organizations, she plans career fairs, field trips, and other educational events.
“I coordinate college, military, and career representatives for visits in the library,” Cooper said. “I collaborate with other teachers with lessons and events in the library.”
Freshman Ethan Ellis spends time in the library eating lunch and is excited about the new ideas for the library.
“I feel like it’s a very large open space that’s not utilized enough,” Ellis said.
Tomaszewski is hopeful about the new ideas and experiences for the students moving forward.
“Now that we have one person to centralize everything, I think we will just be much more efficient and it will be much more manageable,” Tomaszewski said.
Along with the new ideas, Cooper also is working on a core part of the library – the books.
“In between everything, I am also working on an ongoing project to organize the physical book collection to weed out outdated or damaged books and begin acquiring new titles,” Cooper said. “None of my days look exactly the same, which is really exciting.”
