More than 1,700 high school sophomores from schools throughout Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties turned out in force Friday to Southern Westchester BOCES’ annual Career Day, to learn about jobs in fields ranging from law to veterinary medicine.

New York State Surrogate Court Justice Judge Anthony Scarpino and Jeanna Alberga, a lawyer in family practice, told a packed house of students about the intricacies of the legal field. Veterinarian Dr. Gina Antiaris spoke about the first time she had to dissect a cow. Mount Pleasant Detective Thomas Frawley noted that 6,000 prospective police officers would be taking the Westchester County police exams this weekend. And SWBOCES Culinary Arts instructors Gerard Murphy and Peter Tomascevic spoke while they cooked, serving slices of homemade pumpkin bread to more than 120 students lucky enough to have attended their session.

More than 85 adults conducted workshops representing 38 different fields of endeavor, including writing, transportation, business, arts and dance, construction, dental, education, engineering, environmental science, graphic arts, languages, marketing and sales, medicine, nursing, the military, physical sciences, protective services, social sciences, sports, and transportation.

Students who attended were able to sign up for two workshops, each about one hour long. Among the most popular were law, with 183 students in attendance; sports jobs, with 178 students; design professions, with 157 students; engineering, with 144 students; protective services, with 144 students; radio and television, with 140 students; and social sciences, with 140 students. The event was held at the SWBOCES Career Services campus in Valhalla.

(Press release courtesy of Evelyn McCormack/SWBOCES.)