Career Week 2025

What do you want to be when you grow up? For more than thirty years, Saint James 8th graders have taken their first steps toward that question during our signature 8th Grade Career Week. With extraordinary support from our parents and the wider community, students spend time shadowing professionals and gaining a real-world look at a variety of careers. The program has even earned national recognition from the National Middle School Association for its effective middle-level practices.

This November, our 8th graders once again stepped into workplaces across our community as part of Career Week. They met with professionals, asked questions, and explored paths they may never have considered. Below, hear directly from a few of our students as they reflect on what they learned.

Keagan Cantrell shadowed Mrs. Megan Deal, STJ Kindergarten teacher.

“My fellow classmates and I got to do a thing called career week, where we got to shadow three people. I had so much fun! One of the careers I shadowed was a kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Deal. I was so honored for the chance to get to know all the kids. They truly made my day. I got to watch their play practice and we got to make really cool headbands that showed what you are grateful for. It was so cool getting to see all of the things kindergarteners get to do. It was like I was just in kindergarten. All of the kindergarteners showed me something special! They made me realize that we can take life for granted a lot and that we always need to find the joy in life, and they also showed me to be so grateful for what we have!”
— Keagan Cantrell, class of 2030
“Ever since I was in 6th grade and heard about my brother doing career week in 8th grade, I was super excited for the opportunity. One of the jobs I shadowed was Dr. Jay Robertson at Montgomery Dentistry. Although I always have had some interest in this field, this visit made me realize that dentistry is a career path that I may want to follow. I had the chance to stand and watch multiple operations, from wisdom teeth being taken out to ordinary checkups. I shadowed Dr. Robertson with some of my friends, and we got to create little molds of our teeth. I learned a lot from this experience and it gave me a new perspective on pursuing this career.”
— Miles Bleiberg, class of 2030

Miles Bleiberg shadowed Dr. Jay Robertson, dentist with Montgomery Dentistry.

Addison Brunson shadowed Dana Fitzpatrick, Occupational Therapist with Baptist Health.

Saint James School’s Career Week Program allows students to explore careers they might be interested in; which in turn, helps students with course selections in high school and also college choices. Our students truly enjoy going out into the workforce and learning about life beyond middle and high school!

#wearesaintjamesschool

“I shadowed Dana Fitzpatrick who is a physical therapist that works at Baptist East Hospital. I learned that there are three levels at the hospital, Physical Therapy, OT, Pediatric OT, and Speech. An OT helps people learn how to do daily activities if something happens to them like a stroke. Putting on clothes could be a challenge, so they teach you how to put on your clothes again. I got to watch a child speech therapist session go on. The lady worked on pronunciation and comprehension. I also got to watch a Pediatric OT help a 8 month old baby to continue her growth. She has scoliosis which makes her lean a certain way. The OT was working on her crawling, because 9 month olds start to crawl, he wanted to make sure she developed the correct way. The last thing I got to do was go up to the NICU. I got to watch the doctor feed and check out the baby to make sure everything was going right. I learned about the bed the baby sleeps in, the bed mimics the mothers movements, which helps the baby’s temperatures and other features. The doctor also let me feed the baby! I was so excited I got to shadow her and learn a lot about physical therapy.”
— Addison Brunson, class of 2030

Quality Time with the Class of 2029

by: Abigail Huynh, class of 2026

In early August, the freshman class of ’29 had a blast on their annual retreat to Butter and Egg Adventures in Troy, Alabama. Although the weather proved to be a challenge at the beginning of the day, the freshman didn’t allow that to dampen their high spirits and utter excitement. The day started off with group based activities in which the students were divided into three different groups based on their advisory classes. Each station consisted of different team building activities and challenges. These survivor inspired series of obstacles were part of the outside course. The freshman got to participate in word puzzles, ring and bean bag toss, and the thrilling minefield challenge. The minefield challenge was very entertaining to watch, because the freshman struggled quite a bit at the start and really had to come together to solve the puzzle. The rules stated that only one person could be in a section at a time while the collective group held hands to make it to the other side. Many giggles were shared between the freshman, peer leaders, teachers, and our Butter and Egg guide as the freshman had to problem solve ways to navigate the string course in order to get across.

The next station was brain puzzles where the classmates joined hand and hand to be the quickest team to finish the puzzle. The games challenged the freshmen with their ability to be efficient while staying calm in the midst of chaos. Some games consisted of how fast a ball can travel around a circle of hands, touching all the bases as quickly as a group can, and card games.

Records were broken left and right as each group kept outdoing the one before. After wrapping up this station, yummy burgers and sides were being served in the dining hall. As everyone walked in the smell of delicious burgers, tater tots, chips, beans, and some fudgey brownies wafted in the air. Lunch was filled with smiling faces and tons of chitter chatter. As lunch was coming to an end the owners of Butter and Egg, surprised everyone with popsicles and cookies, just before we were ambushed by a giant rain storm. We were guided to the dome to take cover, but the guides made sure we had plenty of activities to do inside. We had cup stacking games, rock, paper, scissors relays, card games, Simon says, and grabbed the cone. The freshmen’s competitive spirits came out because they wanted to be victorious and the ultimate winner.

As time passed, the rain cleared and we were allowed to go outside and participate in the ziplines, canoes, ropes course, and paddleboating. Watching the freshman have fun on the zip lines was the highlight of my day. We were surrounded by yells of excitement and yelps of nerves, but overall it was a total hit with the freshman. Canoeing was also a fan favorite as people raced and got a water front view of people going on the zip lines. Two of our faculty members even took an unexpected dip in the lake! After about an hour and a half of constant outside activities we had to load the bus for departure.

This was also a productive time for the new Peer Leaders to spend quality time with their mentees, providing them with helpful advice and tactics for being a successful student at STJ. The students shared plenty of laughs and created memories that will stick with this grade for years to come. Thank you Butter and Egg Adventures for the fun trip, and see you next year with the class of 2030! #wearesaintjamesschool

Rewind to Elementary: Trick or Treat That Took Us Back to the Place We Began

By: Lucy Hwang, class of 2026

Me, Lucy Hwang, with my co-buddy MaryEllis Killough and our kindergarten buddy dressed up as Silver Mist and Rosetta from Tinkerbell. Our buddy even spray painted her hair! 

Every year, the seniors participate in trick-or-treating with their kindergarten buddy. This year, it was colder than usual, so we huddled together like penguins trying to stay warm while waiting for our buddies to arrive in the quad. It felt funny and a little surreal because Elsa, Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, and the Addams Family were all hugging each other like a movie crossover. We had been talking about costumes for weeks, sharing ideas and guessing what everyone would wear, so it was extra fun to finally see them. 

We hyped each other up, traded compliments, and for a moment it felt like we were five again. 

Seniors Madison Jackson and Breyonna McKinnon with their kindergarten buddy dressed up as the Addams family.

When our buddies arrived, we set off to trick-or-treat starting from Furlong Hall, Science building, Humanities hall, the High School, and then the Middle School. Walking with our buddy through the places where we study and rush to class felt tender, like showing them a map of who we have become. Moving from high school to middle school and back to elementary felt like rewinding a tape, each doorway opening to an earlier version of us.

Back in elementary, we brought our buddies to their classrooms. The tiny desks, the cubbies, and the toys rattling on the floor brought up old memories. We remembered our own senior buddies and the steady hands that once guided us through crowded hallways. Watching our buddies slide into those little chairs brought a warm, protective feeling. For a moment, we felt like the adults in the room. 

After the candy run, we headed to the parking lot to grab our bags and change back into uniforms. Climbing into our cars felt surreal. A few minutes earlier we were holding tiny hands. Now we were unlocking the car, checking mirrors, and walking back to our classes. That jump from little desks to car keys made the day feel even more special. It reminded us how far we have come and how sweet it is to share that with the ones just starting out. It also made graduation feel a little closer, like the next doorway we will walk through, and for a second we wanted time to slow down so we could hold on to this feeling. #wearesaintjamesschool

A Holiday Convocation to Remember

Campbell (left) with her Kindergarten buddy and friends

by: Campbell Wright, class of 2025

The big man in red made a special trip to Saint James School!

Every year the Saint James family comes together to celebrate the holiday season at Convocation. Holiday Convocation is one of my favorite traditions every year as the student body, teachers, alumni, and parents come together to celebrate. First, our celebrations consist of a procession with seniors and their kindergarten buddies. Of course everyone is decked out in their best holiday outfits and ugly sweaters. Then our High School counselor, Mr. Clinton, begins the convocation with a holiday skit that brings lots of laughter and holiday cheer. As the celebration begins, the band and choir perform holiday pieces they have been working on all year for their showcase and the whole gym listens with awe. After the songs are finished, students come up and share their own Christmas and Hanukkah traditions, including a background of the holiday. I always learn something new from these students and enjoy hearing their own family traditions. After this, my favorite time of the entire convocation begins. The members of choir start a sing-along with the whole gym to everyone’s favorite christmas songs. My favorites, “Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer” and “12 Days of Christmas,” are always played and this year my kindergarten buddy and I were able to enjoy them together. During “The 12 Days of Christmas” this year, My senior class and I were finally able to say the cherished lyric of “5 months to go” as we begin our journey as second semester seniors. Finally, as the celebration began to end and “Santa Claus is Coming To Town” began to play, Santa and his elves made their appearance and surprised the entire student body. This was truly the best convocation I've ever had, making my last one the most special and a memory I will cherish forever. #wearesaintjamesschool

The 12 days of Christmas is a convocation favorite.

Career Week 2024: 8th Grade Students Peek Into Professions

by: Waylon King and Grace Wykes, class of 2029

Waylon and his mom, who is a medical aesthetician.

I am so grateful that I had the amazing opportunity of being able to get an inside peek of the jobs of my choice for 8th grade career week 2024. My name is Waylon King and one of the professions that I shadowed was a medical aesthetician. I actually got to shadow my mom, Michela King, who runs her own aesthetician business. I started shadowing around 11:00am and was shown what her daily schedule looks like. She then showed me what kind of tools she uses to complete procedures and what their purposes are. We then had our first patient, who wanted a chemical peel, I was amazed by how fast the products started reacting. For the rest of the day, I was able to watch the many different procedures an aesthetician completes on a day to day basis. It was a blast to be shown the astonishing and exciting day of a medical aesthetician.

Grace with Deputy General Counsel for the Alabama Secretary of State, Meredith Blackburn.

Career Week was such a great experience for the class of 2029. My name is Grace Sykes and I shadowed the Deputy General Counsel for the Alabama Secretary of State. Her name is Mrs. Meredith Blackburn and is a close family friend of mine. I drove with her to the state capitol at 7:30am and took a small tour of the building. I got to meet the Secretary of State and go in his office. When I got back to Mrs. Blackburn's office, I went right to work. Mrs. Blackburn has many official duties and tasks she had to complete, so I helped her by putting previously used case files away and updating her code books. I had so much fun at the state capitol and would love to have a career as special and exciting as Mrs. Blackburn's.

Saint James middle school students have been shadowing careers during the 8th grade year for many years. Shadowing helps students explore potential career paths early, helping them identify their interests and strengths. It also provides real-world insights into various professions, connecting classroom learning to practical applications. This experience can inspire goal-setting and better decision-making for future education and career planning. Eighth grade career week is something Saint James students look forward to every year! #wearesaintjamesschool

A Great Start to a Great Year: Freshman Retreat

by: Emily Trock, 9th grade

Camp Butter and Egg was one of the best bonding experiences I have ever had at Saint James School. The retreat is an annual activity for freshmen, along with their peer leaders, to travel to Camp Butter and Egg. We had a great time with all the activities including: team building activities, competitions, ziplining, and canoeing in the lake. It was an amazing field trip that I will never forget.

The zipline was a favorite!

At 8:00 we boarded the bus and headed to Troy. Once we arrived, we were sorted into groups based on our advisories and played games against each other. With our teams, we had to work together to complete the various tasks. We threw bean-bags into small pillars, teamed up with a partner and used a magnet to move a ball into a hole, and unscrambled words to make sentences, to name a few. My favorite activity was a blind matching game, which consisted of team captains instructing their teams on how to position the objects correctly. The twist was that only the captains could see the desired position however, they couldn’t position the objects themselves. It was all competitive, which really made it exciting! 

Then, once we had broken the ice, my advisory headed over to complete team building exercises. This was a great way to bond with my class. Some activities included: playing the floor is lava, using pool noodles to transport balls at a rapid pace, and describing pictures to put them in order. These games helped us improve our relationships with each other and we had fun along the way!

Students enjoyed team building and bonding!

Lunch was delicious burgers, baked beans, chips, and sugar cookies. After lunch we headed to go ziplining! This was definitely my favorite part of the retreat. There were three ziplines. The first one was a smooth-sailing ride. The second one was through trees and was set at a much faster pace. The third one was my favorite. It went over the lake and had an incredible view of the whole camp! I even got to see some of my friends canoeing under me. Then we went down to the lake and got to chat with friends while on canoes and paddle boats. A couple of people got wet but we all had fun just the same.

High Ropes provided a great bonding experience.

This trip to Camp Butter and Egg was a wonderful experience which I won’t forget anytime soon! I look forward to an amazing freshman year; Camp Butter and Egg has been a great start!

The Saint James Peer Leaders are a group of seniors who serve as mentors to the freshmen for the first half of the year. The Peer Leaders meet with their assigned freshman advisories once a week to lead lessons on how to acclimate to high school. This program not only helps with the social and academic transition to high school, but builds relationships and enforces our Trojan Core Values. #wearesaintjamesschool

Prom 2024- A Night at the Disco!

Campbell (second from right) and some of her classmates from the STJ c/o 2025.

by: Campbell Wright, class of 2025

Earlier this month, the Saint James junior class hosted our annual prom. The theme for this year was “A Night at the Disco.” It was a night full of dancing, great music, and incredible decorations. I am a member of the prom club led by Mrs. Ward, along with other junior girls and officers. Our club spent the year planning out and organizing details and ideas to create this magical Prom night. The Friday before Prom, our club ensured the seniors had the best last Prom by setting up fabulous disco decorations, creating memories and sharing laughs as we set up for the night.

The Warehouse at Alley Station was groovy with disco balls, silver accents, and lots of sparkles!

Prom night began for me at Wynlakes Country Club where the entire Junior class took pictures. My friends and I had the best time taking pictures together, capturing our memories of an unforgettable night. After pictures, the class split up for dinner, delicious food combined with excitement and anticipation for the night to come. When it was time to arrive at the Warehouse, we were greeted with our beautiful decorations and a room full of disco fever. The room had a snack bar, photo booth, and stage with a perfect dance floor. Soon after arrival, the bittersweet senior leadout began and we watched our seniors close out their final high school Prom.

The sadness quickly ended when the fabulous Park Band started their music and everyone began dancing. The band kept the excitement high the entire night and everyone was sad to leave. This year’s Prom was an unforgettable night with new memories I will cherish forever.

Saint James students and their dates before Prom 2024.

Eighth Grade Visits Our Nation's Capital

by: Charlotte Stanton, class of 2028

8th graders stopped by the White House during their recent trip to Washington D.C.

The 8th grade students had been so excited for our class trip to Washington DC. We prepared for DC weeks before we departed, but most of us have been thinking about this since we were little. Some of the topics we were preparing for were hard, such as the Holocaust museum. However, we knew we would have a great and educational trip!
On day one, we had to be up early at 4:15 in the morning! We departed on two separate buses at 4:45 a.m. It was supposed to be around a two and half hour drive, but due to a serious accident that shut down the interstate, the drive took way longer than expected. We ended up missing our flight, but it was okay because we booked another flight that was scheduled to depart around 9 p.m. That left us with quite a while until we had to be at the airport. 
We made a pit stop at Buc-ee’s, and all joined onto one bus to make our way to Atlanta. In Atlanta we did many interesting activities. We got to walk around Olympic park, explore the World of Coca-Cola museum, and eat at a small cafe. After some time, we had to leave to head to the airport. We had to wait for many hours after countless delays. Finally, we boarded the plane at 10:10 p.m. It was a bumpy ride, but we landed in Washington DC safely at 11:50 p.m. We got to ride on a double-decker bus, but everyone was very tired and ready to get to the hotel. 

Students at the Lincoln Memorial

Since we missed the entire day before, we had to make some schedule rearrangements. We got to see the Arlington National Cemetery first. The eternal flame was a beautiful symbol. We spent some time in the Spy Museum. That was one of my personal favorites. They had real artifacts from spies! The African American History Museum was very educational and immersive; they did a good job of conveying a lot of emotions. We quickly went through the American History Museum just to see the original star-spangled banner. Then, we got to look around the Natural History Museum. I love how big that museum was, and I wish we could have stayed there for hours! I probably spent the most time in the gem and mineral exhibit looking for the Hope Diamond. For dinner we ate at Carmine’s. Later at night, we got a tour of many different monuments around the city. The Abraham Lincoln Memorial was so ornate and gave a beautiful view of the Washington Monument. 

Students participating in a Revolutionary Era reenactment at Mt. Vernon.

The next day, Ford’s Theater was first on our itinerary. A man gave us a lecture about the assassination. I really enjoyed the museum part of the tour. Then, we took the annual class picture with all of the students and chaperones. After that we got a tour of the capitol building! The architecture was gorgeous inside and out. The painting and statues were so detailed, and I loved hearing about their deeper meanings. We all took a quick picture with the White House then went to the Holocaust Memorial Museum. We all took our time to look around and learn about this tragedy. It was a well constructed museum that showed the raw truth. We then went to see the National Archives. The documents in there were very old! For dinner that night we got to go on a dinner river cruise! We all got dressed nice and got to dance on the dancefloor. The view on the cruise of the water and city was breathtaking!

Charlotte (second from right) with classmates at the International Spy Museum

However, all good things must come to an end. On the last day we had the opportunity to see Mount Vernon. The land was so peaceful and well taken care of. Andrew Sellers laid a wreath near President George Washington’s tomb. Due to traffic we couldn’t go inside the house, but in history class we got to do a virtual tour of the house, so we didn’t miss out completely! We flew back home and arrived at STJ around 7:30 p.m. Overall it was a very educational trip that we were lucky to have had the opportunity to experience! 

Kindergarten/Senior Buddy LOVE

by: Reilly Taylor, senior

Reilly’s buddy, June

What a sweet valentine’s day my senior class had with our k5 buddies! We all met up in the Commons and patiently waited for our little buddies to walk in! We exchanged gifts, decorated paper bags with valentine’s day themed stickers, colors, and more! We then filled each bag with water, play-do, and a fun valentine’s day card we got to color with our buddy! The bags we decorated and put together are going to be sent to Child Protect, a non-profit organization that focuses on minimizing both the physical and mental trauma some children have experienced. This was a very special valentine’s day as we got to spend precious time with our buddies, involved them in making someone else’s day special, and shared the love we each have in our hearts!

Reilly has been a Trojan since preK. She is a cheerleading All-American, member of the tennis team, and loves to volunteer. Reilly also is a second year Student Ambassador, serving as an official hostess of Saint James School.