MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – High schoolers from around the U.P. visited Northern Michigan University’s campus Friday to learn about opportunities that can come from a post-highschool career.
Inside Northern’s Jacobetti Complex, most of the visiting high schoolers plan on entering the workforce, rather than going to college. NMU Associate Vice President Jeff Korpi says the event is a way the university can share pathways and provide a new perspective to their post graduation routes.
“We’re doing our best to show a lot of hands-on opportunities, so they can go back and do the hero work that it takes to keep the U.P. running every day,” he said.
While the event could also attract these students to the university, Korpi says the most important aspect comes down to keeping the Upper Peninsula strong. Marquette Senior High School student Tyler Matulewicz says he’d like to work with the Department of Natural Resources.
“They go over that Northern is not the biggest school, so there’s a lot of opportunities. It’s also not the smallest school, so there’s a lot of hands-on learning that other schools might not have,” he said.
This is the first time the university has been a part of the MI Kickoff event, and was the last stop for MiLEAP across five schools around the state this fall. Those included Ferris State, Oakland, SVSU, Wayne County Community College District, and NMU.
