"Hi kids. My name's Kevin Valenti. When I was growing up I always knew that I wanted a career in law enforcement because my father was a police captain in Manchester and my grandfather had been a police officer in Boston. After graduating from high school I joined the army for five years. I thought that having military experience would help me get a good job-and it did. For 12 years I worked at the NH State Prison for men as a corrections officer and I liked my job but I decided that I could help the inmates more if I became a probation parole officer. Probation and parole officers, also known as PPOs, help inmates to successfully plan for their life after they leave prison. But in order to reach my goal I knew a college degree was required. I went to Springfield College in Manchester, NH where I received my Bachelor's degree in Human Services. I learned a lot about resources in the community that would help these former inmates to find jobs and whatever else they might need to be successful. Now I work as a probation parole officer for the State of NH. Getting my college degree helped me to have the best of both worlds. I still work in law enforcement. Yes, I have a gun, a badge and a bulletproof vest but most of the time I help people to plan how to make their lives better and how to avoid making the mistakes that sent them to prison and that's what I really love about being a probation parole officer."

"Hi. My name is Colleen and I'm a dental hygienist. When I was young, the dentist that lived next door to us needed someone to clean his office on Saturdays. So he asked me if I'd like to help him. When I grew up I went to college to learn how to become a dental hygienist. I worked with families in my community helping them learn to take better care of their teeth and gums. College helped me become an important member of my neighborhood."

"Hi. My name is Amber Cullen Ferreira. I practice as a physical therapist at Concord Hospital and have been practicing sports medicine physical therapy for three years. I got my doctorate in physical therapy at Northeastern University in Boston, Mass. I chose Northeastern because of the co-op program. At Northeastern you get the opportunity to start working in your field of choice the first year. This hands-on experience is priceless. I learned how to interact with my patients in the real world. After graduating from Northeastern University I also pursued my lifelong goal of being the best athlete I could be. I am the reigning national snow shoe champion and qualified to race as a professional triathlete next year. The saying ‘hard work pays off' is absolutely true in the game of life. Working hard at school or sport or your chosen profession will ultimately allow all doors to open. Eventually all the pieces of the jigsaw will come together but not without hard work. This is what I live by when I train and what I preach to my patients. We often wonder what our purpose is on this earth as we make our way through life. I am beginning to think that my path is more clearly defined for me since graduating from Northeastern University as a physical therapist and pledging to lead a healthy life. I spend my days with the hopes of inspiring others to make healthy changes. In closing, as Eleanor Roosevelt once said, ‘You gain strength courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself I have lived through this I can take the next thing that comes along. You must do the things you think you cannot do.’ "

"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."