Career Coaches Honored by PENCIL

Check out the PENCIL video featuring SI Career Coach, Valarie Contrino and HS Principal, Sharon Henry

SI CAREER COACH and McKEE TECH SHOWCASED AT PENCIL GALA

The Staten Island Career Coaches and McKee Tech HS receive high recognition.

Staten Island, New York – After 3 years coaching the students of McKee Career Technical Educational High School, the Staten Island Career Coaches (SICC) have been rewarded with great wins.  The program has helped students in preparing for prestigious internship programs and receiving job offers.  Most recently, the SICC was featured in a film by PENCIL, a New York-based non-profit organization that honors business experts and school leaders who have demonstrated their commitment to public schools through PENCIL Partnerships.

On Thursday, May 10, PENCIL hosted its annual gala, Imagine What We Can Do, at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Over 700 event attendees viewed a film that introduced to SICC member Valarie Contrino and McKee Tech principal, Sharon Henry and the work they are doing to prepare students for their first jobs.  McKee was one of 3 schools featured in the film presentation.

“Being featured in this film was a big honor for Mckee and Career Coaches,” said Contrino. “but what was an even bigger honor that night was when Principal Sharon Henry and I learned that two of the McKee students who were part of the SICC program were accepted into the Fellows Program.  It brought us both to tears.”

The SICC relationship with PENCIL has helped the programs overall success with the McKee Students, creating connections with large corporations that provide additional networking connections for ambitious students. 

“Thanks to PENCIL, up to 60 McKee HS students will be invited to partake in workshops at Deloitte that focus on preparing them for a future. I am so proud of these great accomplishments both for SICC and the Mckee students and its administration,” says Contrino.   

The SICC work with McKee upper classmen on resume building, and developing job interview skills.  During the 3-week program, the coaches mentor McKee’s juniors and seniors in identifying strengths and developing strategies to best communicate their assets potential employers.

Over 16 SICC program participants received job placement through Workforce1, a service provided by the NYC Department of Small Business Services. One student received a Graphic Design internship with Coach Carol DiMarco, owner of Blue Label Design.  Twenty  students are currently participating in the Pencil Fellows internship program.   In addition, the school’s cosmetology students are now volunteering at New Vanderbilt Rehab, visiting residents bi-weekly through a connection made by one of the career coaches.

Any professional interested in volunteering with the Career Coaches or providing internship, job shadowing or job opportunities for students should contact Valarie Contrino at 

valarie@contrinotravel.com.

About SI Career Coaches
The SICC was founded in 2009. Its mission is to help students as they prepare for entry into the workforce. Full biographies of its members are available at the Career Coaches Website www.sicareercoaches.blogspot.com