Exploring the future

DENTON – For 10 years, the Rotary Club of Denton has reached out to students to show them not only the careers available to those who are not college-bound, but the valuable contributions they can make in their home county.

About 85 students from Caroline County’s two high schools attended Rotary’s Youth Career Fair from 8:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, at the General James F. Fretterd Community Center in Denton.

Rotary President Sue Simmons welcomed the students, who were mostly from North Caroline High School, with 25 from Colonel Richardson High School.

Simmons told them that part of the Club’s mission, partnering with Caroline County Public Schools, is “creating places and opportunities for you all to imagine what your future might be, …(and) experience some new human beings, new conversations, new ideas that might help you think a little differently about what you want to do.”

Rotarian and CCPS Superintendent Dr. Derek Simmons explained that the fair was inaugurated in 2013, but a two-year pandemic sidelined it. He is not related to Sue Simmons.

“We realized a lot of times, students don’t realize what’s in our backyard for a way to have a great career,” Dr. Simmons said. “We have worked with countless area businesses to provide incredible workshops, information tables which are spread out around the room today, and access to engaging table mentors.”

He said the students who attend the fair are those “who are potentially planning to move directly into the workforce – kids who haven’t committed to going to college for four years, kids who also haven’t committed to a career.”

One of the exhibitors was farmer and entrepreneur Dave Tribbett, owner of Mid-Atlantic Organic Resource Company in Ridgely. He didn’t go to college. “Look these kids,” he said. “Here is where I was back then. That’s why we’re here.”

“Sue (Simmons) called us: ‘Do you mind coming in talking to some of these youth that don’t know what direction they want to go?’ I didn’t know what direction I wanted to go till I was almost 30, so it’s all right to not know what you want to do,” Tribbett said.

Tribbett’s general manager, Marquis Roberts of Denton, said the fair “means everything to me, because I’m giving these youth the chance that I didn’t really have. … Every kid that I run across, I try to just push positivity.”

Students were encouraged to visit the dozens of business owners and non-profit representatives ringing the gymnasium and ask suggested questions on the back of their neon-green “prize passports.” Instead of just checking the boxes listing the businesses in a grid on the reverse side, they were encouraged to strike up conversations. They were also asked to unplug from their devices.

The completed prize passports were eligible for a drawing of “mystery” envelopes containing cash prizes.

CCPS Director of College and Career Readiness Lindsey McCormick said she was pleased with the level of engagement she saw as students made the rounds.

So was CRHS Counselor Jen Reed. “I’m impressed with how engaged they are,” she said.

Former Talbot County math teacher Marnie Stockman of Greensboro led a workshop and gave the afternoon keynote based on her newest book, The Business of YOU. She gave away copies to workshop participants and students who took the initiative to request one.

The fair is likely to continue long into the future. “It was a Sue Simmons thing,” Rotarian Walt Palmer said. “She took it and ran with it.”