06-08-2025
‘GLOW With Your Hands' connects students to potential career paths
GAINESVILLE, N.Y. (WIVB) — Schools and local businesses in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties are gearing up for the seventh annual 'GLOW With your Hands' career exploration event in September.
'This isn't just a field trip, it's an immersive firsthand experience that helps students truly understand how their skills and interests translate into exciting real new world jobs,' said Justin Dueppengiesser, the director of the Wyoming County Business Education Counsel. 'Crucially, GLOW with your Hands highlights the diverse pathways to success. We initially showcase careers that are accessible right out of high school, as well as those that require specialized trade training, two-year degrees or four-year degrees. Our goal is to empower students to make truly informed decisions about their futures.'
This year's event will mark that 5,000 students have participated in the event since it launched in 2019.
'These initiatives aren't just about exposure, they're about direct results,' Dueppengiesser said. 'They've helped fuel almost a 40 percent increase in enrollment in related programs at Genesee Valley Bocces.'
'The trades aren't just a job opportunity, they are truly a necessity,' said Forrest Hess, an agriculture instructor at Letchworth Central High School (LCHS). 'There are jobs waiting for these students, good paying respectable jobs, with true purpose.'
Hess said that LCHS is investing in teaching students about trades. They have a new STEAM innovation center, on site farm, green house, small engine repair and mechanics facility, and more.
'It's a reminder to our students and all of us that success does not just take one path. College is great for some, but not all, but for others, success looks like steel-toed boots, a welding mask or a well used set of tools and that is not just okay, that is awesome,' Hess said. 'I can see it on the faces of my students each day. They're engaged, they're excited, they're imagining futures they might never had considered before. That's what GLOW really is about, opening doors, sparking ideas and giving kids permission to dream a little differently.'
Maynard Fuller, a student at LCHS, said GLOW helped him connect the dots between what he was learning at school and the opportunities that are available in the real world. He was hired for a full time job this summer at a local farm in Perry.
'GLOW didn't just show me what's out there, it helped me believe in my future and for that I'm truly grateful,' Fuller said.
The GLOW With Your Hands career exploration event will take place on Sept. 30 at the Genesee County Fairgrounds. For more information, click here.
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Hope Winter is a reporter and multimedia journalist who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of her work here.
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