CHOCOWINITY — What do you want to be when you grow up?

It’s a question that becomes more real the older students become. The reality often starts to set in during the middle school years, when high school and college don’t seem so far away anymore.

On Thursday, 18 presenters visited Chocowinity Middle School and worked to expose students to career options, as part of the first-ever school-wide Career Fair.

Professionals from firefighters/EMS personnel and a veterinarian, to a funeral home director and a nurse, were on hand to give students a glimpse into what they do every day. Fifth- through eighth-graders toured the 18 stations in 25-minute increments over the course of the morning.

Chocowinity Middle counselor Kendra Ratliff said the school hosted a career fair a couple of years ago, but it only included one grade level.

“I always wanted to make it a school-wide thing. The first time around I just wanted to get my feet wet,” Ratliff said. “It’s really exposing the students to jobs in the area and getting that real-world take on things.”

Wildlife Enforcement Officer Jacob Deese said he spoke to the students about what he does on a daily basis — patrolling wildlife areas in Beaufort, Pitt and Greene counties to make sure hunting, fishing and boating laws are followed.

“A lot of them were really interested in the fact … that you get a truck, that you get a boat, that you get a four-wheeler. A lot of them were interested in the fact that you get to be outside all day and get to enjoy nature in itself,” Deese said. “It shows students at a young age that there’s more options than what they see on a day-to-day basis.”

Deese said he thinks if students are aware of options, they will be better able to prepare themselves for what they want to do in the future.

“People want jobs that they love, not that they have to go to,” he said.

Ratliff said she received positive feedback from the students, and the teachers were on board with hosting the Career Fair, as well.

“It’s different when we’re just telling them about things or having them read about things, but when they’re actually talking to somebody, it becomes more real,” Ratliff said. “I really do think it was a valuable experience for them.”

She said the plan is to make the Career Fair an annual event.