By OLIVIA BERGMEIER
Lead Reporter - Salina Post
This week, more than 250 junior and senior high school students descended on the Great Plains Convention Hall, filled with exhibits showcasing a look into construction, manufacturing and service.
The Salina Area Builders Association (SABA) organized the first Salina Build My Future to introduce various blue-collar careers to students interested in the trades.
For most trade shows, exhibitors typically bring small equipment, pamphlets of information and small take-home items, but the one requirement for exhibitors at this show was interactivity.
"The vendors were creative with what they came up with. I'm so impressed with what they brought," said SABA board member Jessica Kindlesparger. "To me, I think it's eye-opening for them to actually get hands-on experience doing those things that maybe they didn't know they would be interested in."
Kindlesparger said 260 students attended the event, with schools like Concordia High School and Salina South High School bringing large portions of their junior and senior classes.
Although 260 attendees for a first-time event is large, Kindlesparger said she expects attendance to more than double next year after hearing feedback from various schools.
Larkin, Scott City, Holcom and Beloit were a few examples Kindlesparger said showed interest in the event. Some schools told her they intended to bring their entire junior and senior classes next year.
At the Pestinger Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. booth, Master Electrician Travis Benoist presented simple motors made from copper wire and a battery.
At the same time, Megan Leyler, an electrician for Pestinger, introduced students to the basics of wiring a breaker box.
"Not everybody fits into this box of going to the four-year institution, so having these options anymore is critical," Benoist said. "I push for education with my workers all the time — the more educated they are, the better they understand what they're doing, and then the better they can apply those principles to their jobs."
Brian Thompson, a 17-year-old student at Salina South High School, visited the booth and tried wiring the breaker box, which he said he already had a little bit of experience by working on house construction.
"Most of the things we're doing, I already did a little bit," Thompson said. "A lot of it is kind of new, so I enjoyed it."
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Many local Salina businesses and organizations presented exhibits at the event, including Great Plains Manufacturing, Vortex, the Salina Fire Department — complete with a fire engine for students to try out the hoses — and Ponton's Construction.
"They [the students] started out a little timid, and now they're really intrigued," Kindlesparger said. "They're all interacting and asking questions and getting involved in all this — it's been really rewarding."