Last fall, six-year-old Sam's "You Can Be ABC's" video went viral, and it's easy to see why. Of course it's simultaneously impressive and adorable when a kid can bust a rhyme the way Sam does, but I think what really captured viewers' attention was the knowledge Sam spits about the world of work. At six years old we all knew about teachers and veterinarians, but probably didn't know much about architects or biochemists. In fact, even at eighteen — as a high school graduate headed to college — I still knew very little about what careers were actually out there.
Part of our mission as career and college counselors is to change that for future generations by helping make young people more aware of their options. So, inspired by Sam, we'll be starting a "You Can Be ABC's" blog series of our own. Once a month, we'll share 26 careers, one for each letter of the alphabet (okay, maybe not exactly 26 every time...there are only so many careers that start with Q and X, after all). Our hope is that by sharing what's out there in the world of work, you'll be inspired and, like Sam says, "Zealously strive — you can reach the sky if you try!"
This month, we'll stick with Sam's ABC's because, well, they're brilliant—
You can be an A, you can be an ARCHITECT
Sketch a building that'll kiss the sky.
You can be a B, you can be a BIOCHEMIST
Make medicine and save lives.
You can be a C: COMPUTER SOFTWARE DEVELOPER
Write programs and systems and files.
You can be a D, you can be a DENTIST
'Cause everybody loves to smile.
You can be an E, you can be an ENGINEER
Solve problems of all kinds.
Chemical, mechanical, electrical—
Use the power of your mind.
You can be an F, you can be an FIREFIGHTER
Fight fires in red trucks.
You can be a G: GASTROENTEROLOGIST
Deal with problems in the gut.
You can be an H: HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR
Hospitals need leaders.
You can be an I: INTELLIGENCE OFFICER
The FBI kind of people.
You can be a J, you can be a JUDGE
Help people who seek justice.
You can be a K: KINDERGARTEN TEACHER
Those kids are young and restless.
You can be L, you can be a LAWYER
'Cause people need to know their rights.
You can be an M: MOBILE APP DEVELOPER
Like the people who make Fortnite.
You can be an N, you can be a NURSE
Medical care for the masses.
You can be an O: OPTOMETRIST
For people that need eyeglasses.
You can be a P: PARAMEDIC
For medical emergencies.
You can be a Q: QUANTUM PHYSICIST
All particles and energy.
You can be an R, a RESEARCHER
Find cures for disease.
You can be an S: STOCKBROKER
You get to work with money.
You can be a T, a TRUCK MECHANIC
Trucks are currents of transportation.
You can be a U: UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT
Mold the future of your nation.
You can be a V, a VIDEO GAME DESIGNER
For Xboxes and Playstations.
You can be a W: WEB DEVELOPER
It's an online occupation.
Now take that X, you can leave your own mark
With an impact on the world.
And with that Y, you can be your own boss—
Tell every boy and girl.
And with that Z, zealously strive
You can reach the sky if you try.
Just don't be a Z, just don't be a zombie
And let the world pass you by.
Want to create a You Can Be ABC's of your own? Submit it to astyffe@bakercharters.org for a chance to be featured on our blog!
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