Highlights from Career Day 2026
 
 
EMS 8th Grade Career Day was a Great Success!

Thank you to our incredible parent speakers, volunteers, teachers, staff, and community members who helped make this year’s EMS 8th Grade Career Day such a success!

 

Students then participated in three interactive sessions, each led by 2–3 speakers representing diverse career paths and industries. Each session included a Q&A with the speakers. Students had the chance to express their interests beforehand, allowing them to explore various career options firsthand, engage in meaningful discussions, and gain valuable insights into different professions.

 

This year’s EMS 8th Grade Career Day featured the following speakers and career sectors:

Brand Management & Corporate Marketing - Michael Touna, Tine Fincioen & Judith Herrera
Digital Marketing, Sales & Streaming - Diane Swire & Doina Harris
Sports Marketing & Brand Management - Brendan Moynihan & Dhruv Prasad
Technology - Jagdish Repaswal & Meghan McGarry Schnelles
Architecture & Facilities Management - Gabe Swire & Larry Imbrogno
Aerospace, Leadership & Finance - Glenn McCue & James Waters
Law Enforcement & Public Safety - Officer Dan Paladino & Officer Chris Wallace
Pharmaceutical & Medical Device Sales - Matt Murphy & Melissa DeVita
Healthcare - Dr. Sowmya Gadey, Julie Hall & Dr. Karen Sutton
Entrepreneurship & Local Business - Jon Baxendale & Brooke Shepard
Food, Hospitality & Business - Anna Buzik & Frank Carpenteri Jr.
Fashion & Retail - Kimberly Cray, Nathan Cray & Rachael Klein
Finance - Marco Aiolfi, Sarah DeWitt & Kathryn Spain
Streaming Services & Media - Elizabeth Dank & Jon Wren

 

A special thank you to our keynote speaker, Manish Choudhary, who spoke to students about AI and the impact it will have on their future education and careers. His presentation gave students a thoughtful and exciting look at the rapidly changing world ahead of them.

 

A special thank you as well to Ruchita Choudhary for her invaluable support, including using AI to help create unique student schedules based on pre-selected interests.

 

We would also like to thank Garden Catering for partnering with us to provide a special end-of-day treat of Nuggets and Cones for our students and staff!

 

We are so grateful to everyone who gave their time and energy to make this meaningful day possible for our students!

 

 

     

 

 

     

 
 

 

Highlights from Career Day 2025

 

A special thank you to the 2025 Career Day Presenters from the Greenwich community.  We were delighted to have 39 incredible participants volunteer their time to speak to our 8th graders on Wednesday, May 21st, 2025. 
 
 
The event kicked off with a general assembly for all 8th graders where two Greenwich High School students - 12th grader Max Marek and 11th grader Gabriel Elezaj - shared insight into the many opportunities available for students to explore over their next four years as they will have more agency over their decisions and choices in classes, electives, clubs, sports, internships, and more. 
 
Students then participated in three interactive sessions, each led by 2 different speakers representing diverse career paths and industries. Each session included a Q&A with the speakers. Students had the chance to express their interests beforehand, allowing them to explore various career options firsthand, engage in meaningful discussions, and gain valuable insights into different professions. From Family Medicine to Entrepreneurship, from Technology to Criminal Justice, from Art to Fashion, students had the opportunity to delve into an array of fields and hear such interesting and valuable advice from these experienced professionals.
 

Most of our speaking panel came from the GPS community, including many parents of current EMS students and alum offering students relatable role models and mentors! This year's Career Day featured  the following speakers and sectors:

 

GHS Student Representatives - Gabriel Elezaj & Max Marek 

Acting/Writing/Media - Eva Cantor & Leslie Yager

Art/Creative Services - Pat Wilson & Lily Perry

Brand/Product Marketing - Leigh Mohnihan, Michael Touna & Caragh Lengle

Business:Sports - Brendan Moynihan & Christina Teuscher

Construction, Architecture & Real Estate - Frank DeLuca & Meghan McSharry

Criminal Justice/Law - Officer Wallie & Emma Spiro

Entertainment/Gaming/Business - Dan Sherman & David Snyder

Entrepreneurship/Small Business (Food & Design) - Frank Carpenteri & Lila Limon

Entrepreneurship/Small Business II (Environmental & Exercise) - Scott Atkinson & Jon Baxendale

Family Medicine: Pediatrics/Obstetrics - Amy Kappelman & Liz Hung

Fashion/Design - Jenna Lowe & Rachael Klein

Finance - Kristen Jacks & Andy DeVries

Medical Communications & Brand Management - Matt Murphy & Julia Galotto

Medicine & Surgery (Animals & Dental) - Rebecca Schumaker & Veena Ramesh

Mental & Physical Health - Julie Hall & Karen Sutton

Military/Politics/Business - James Waters & Steve Kilcullen

Public Service: Emergency services - Patrick Gill & GEMS

Technology/AI - Manish Choudhary & Alex Zubko


Thank you for your contributions to the Eastern Middle School PTA. Events like this one are made possible through your support and generosity! A special thanks to Meghan Moore, for her help in making Career Day possible and our Career Day Co-Chairs: Steviann Martines, Tara Waters, and Gitika Jain for putting this day together for our students. 

 

Finally, we are so grateful to Shamiel Gary for visiting the 8th graders during Career Day! Shamiel is a former NFL football player (Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and Buffalo Bills) who has turned his personal story of overcoming adversity and setbacks to achieve his goals into an inspirational presentation for students. The students enjoyed Shamiel's message of resiliency, "bouncing back" from setbacks and teaching your brain to be positive. 

 

 

     

 

     

 

 

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