Through a collaboration between Texas Workforce Commission and Mineola ISD, hundreds of junior and senior high school students were treated to an “Opportunity Fair” Wednesday. The job fair was attended by students from Alba-Golden, Edgewood, Como-Pickton, Winona, Winnsboro, Grand Saline, Yantis, Quitman  and Mineola.

“We have had a lot of people, and a lot of the schools have come.” said a representative for CHRISTUS Hospital.

“(One student) took an application, she goes, ‘All right – I’ll see you in three years.’” said an officer with the Palestine Police Department, which hires starting at age 21. “I’m like, ‘Bring it on!’”

More than 30 employers signed up to be present at the event. There were a wide variety of career fields to cater to the wide interests of students from ABC Auto Parts to Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. to the US Army, CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances and UT Health, Origin Bank, the Sabine River Authority and more, students had many opportunities to discover what careers are available.

The “opportunity fair” also had one interesting event – a virtual reality (VR) station where students were lined up to experience the career of their choice in simulated “real time.”

“You can go in and do different jobs; there’s been some knee surgeries, they blew up a bridge, helped in a car wreck…. It’s pretty awesome,” said Emma King, a representative with the Texas Workforce Commission. “It’s pretty neat to see them doing it, and they’re like (‘Wow!’).”

According to Mineola ISD Director of Curriculum and Instruction Melisia Foster, the school hopes to continue holding the opportunity fair in upcoming years. Foster says that the fair may be held closer to students’ graduation, so that seniors “can actually maybe…walk out with a job from this.”