Pillar Spotlight #6: THINK in action @CBA's 8th grade field trip to GOOGLE!

Read all about the 8th grade field trip to Google: 
This field trip was important for our 8th graders because it helped them understand the wealth of opportunities that exist for them in this hub of technology and innovation that is the Bay Area. All of our students take computer science and many 8th graders love gaming. So, seeing some of the opportunities at Google provided a preview of how they could work hard to make their hobbies a profession. During the panel, students asked how the employees got their jobs, what they wanted to be when they were 8th graders, and asked what advice they would give their 8th grade selves. Overall, it was a wonderful day for our students to learn about the opportunities that exists for them in the Bay. 
-Annie Oppenheim, 8th grade ELA + SS Teacher @ Beta Academy

A recent interview with two 8th graders that went on this trip: 
Tell me more about the field trip to Google!
Gabriel: "Ms. Oppenheim has some friends at Google and she was the one that made this happen. We got to talk to really cool people. We got to learn that they are working on a smart car that will benefit people with disabilities who can't drive on their own. We also got to speak with a group of people that worked there and learn about their positions. We got to meet a game developer, a sales manager and someone who still wants to be a lawyer!"

Why is it important for students to go on field trips like this? 
Gabriel: "I think to get inspired and learn about the many opportunities that are out there for us."
Eric: "We got to learn about different jobs that we didn't know existed. I always thought that you needed to major in computer science to work at Google, but I met someone there that majored in philosophy, which was really awesome to know."

What did going on this field trip inspire you to do? 
Gabriel: It takes time and effort to work at places like Google-- I really need my education to work there! They have an awesome lounge where they had a bowling alley, chefs and a lot of other cool things I liked. I want that. 
Eric: I like that people shared their ideas; it inspired me try my own and actually let my ideas flow.
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If you could connect this to one of our pillars, which one would it be? 
Gabriel: "I would connect it to THINK--- you have to think outside of the box to work at a place like Google. We learned that Google started in a garage and now they have more than ninety thousand locations all over the world. The people there had no idea that they would get this big, but now they are. We need to think we are capable of doing things that we might have been scared to try.

If you could share one piece of wisdom or insight with our community related to this experience, what would it be? 
Eric: Explore different fields; you don’t know what you might end up liking. Some of the employees at Google took classes that are unrelated to tech... but now they work at Google!