"Hi. My name is Tom. When I was growing up I liked sports. Whether it was playing, watching or talking about them, I could never get enough. Now, after studying broadcast journalism in college, I still get to talk about sports and get to go to a ton of games except now they pay me to do it."

"Hey students. This is Mike. I get to talk sports for a living. Yeah, it's a good gig. But it's a gig that never would have been possible without going to college. My experiences in the classroom and through internships gave me the knowledge and the know-how I needed to start a career in radio. And that career started in college."

"My name is Mark Scheffer and I'm an orthopedic surgeon at Dartmouth Hitchcock clinic. I've been practicing orthopedics there for the past 12 years. Prior to that, I was an orthopedic surgeon in the military at the air force academy. I went through undergraduate training at Auburn University in Auburn Alabama and then medical school at Vanderbilt Medical School and then five years of residency afterwards at the Mayo Clinic. I wasn't sure exactly when I started off how I was going to pay for medical school and I was fortunate enough to get a military scholarship that paid for my last two years at University and four years of medical school. I did a civilian residency and once I completed that I was able to serve my time with the military on active duty prior to coming to Concord, NH. When I was in high school the thought of spending what ultimately ended up being 14 years after high school on an education to become an orthopedic surgeon would have been absolutely intolerable for me. I found when I got to college I was able to proceed at a much quicker rate, the classes were only a small part of my schedule for the day. I spent a lot of time in labs and a lot of time in extra-curricular activities. So, basically I would say that I wouldn't let the fear of being in a classroom for long periods of time dissuade anyone from being in college because it's a very different experience and a much more efficient, pleasant, fun experience to be in college. To learn, to get your academic requirements under control but not feel as though you're being smothered in a classroom for a prolonged period of time."

"Hi, my name is Whitney Tyson and I am the Programs Manager for New Hampshire's Granite State Ambassadors. We are the organization who staffs New Hampshire's visitor centers with trained volunteers who are information specialists on our state's tourism industry. I have the opportunity to promote all of NH's attractions, restaurants, and hotels to visitors. This gives me great satisfaction because tourism is one of my biggest passions. If I would suggest any advice to students trying to get a jumpstart on their work experience, I would focus on working at places related to what career you would eventually want to have. If you know you want to go into hospitality, hotels and restaurants are where to go for part time jobs during high school and college. If you are interested in becoming a nurse, volunteer at the hospital in your spare time. This will give you a great insider's look of how the work environment will be. You can ask the people who work there all the questions you have about the job that you may be curious about, and you would be building work contacts. During college, I took advantage of gaining more formal experience by doing an internship by promoting attractions at a ski resort. Internships are an excellent opportunity to build your resume, gain job skills you will need for the future, and it will provide you with priceless knowledge of that career before you officially enter the workforce. Overall, it is never too early to start preparing for your career. The earlier you begin, the more certain you will become about your career preference, and the easier it will be to find opportunities for your future."