Each summer, about 20 high school students choose to stay on campus at St. Joseph’s Indian School. With that choice comes a big responsibility: getting a real job.
And that part of “adulting” can be hard … but we can at least help our Lakota (Sioux) students practice before the real world hits. To help them prepare, St. Joseph’s hosts a campus job fair each spring, giving students the chance to explore campus roles, meet supervisors and practice the skills they’ll need in the working world.
This year’s job fair was held after school on Wednesday, April 1. Students dressed neatly, shook hands and moved from table to table inside the event space, treating the experience like a true interview.
“The job fair is formal, but also fun and very supportive,” said Julie, St. Joseph’s Transition Specialist. “We encourage students to treat it as if it were a real interview — maintaining eye contact, being respectful and showing confidence in their answers.”
To help students feel ready, optional mock interviews were offered a few days beforehand. Students could stop by the office, sit down with staff and practice answering the same questions they’d hear at the fair. This helped students shake out some of the nerves before the real thing!
The job opportunities available on campus are wide‑ranging. Students can work as school custodian assistants, summer camp counselors, junior houseparents, museum associates, barn assistants or horse handlers and even accounting assistants when departments request extra help.
“It’s a real job for them,” said Julie. “They’re learning responsibility, time management and what it feels like to earn their own paycheck.”
For students who aren’t hired on campus, the support doesn’t stop. Staff help them apply for off‑campus positions, assist with getting driver’s permits or licenses and coordinate transportation. St. Joseph’s provides vehicles for students who have earned driving privileges, and houseparents step in to drive for students who aren’t quite road-ready yet. The goal is to make sure every student who wants to work has the opportunity to do so.
Beyond the logistics, the heart of the job fair lies in the relationships built along the way.
“I enjoy building relationships with students where they feel comfortable enough to be themselves and not be afraid to ask genuine questions when they don’t know something,” said Julie.
That trust helps students step into interviews with confidence — sometimes for the very first time.
By the end of the job fair, students walk away not only with job prospects, but with a sense of pride. They’ve practiced professionalism, explored new interests and taken meaningful steps toward independence … a glimpse at the future and the inner sense that says, “Hey, maybe I can really do this.”
And if this is what the first steps of adulting look like — handshakes, confidence and a whole lot of support — then our students are already well on their way.
Learn more about St. Joseph’s Indian School by visiting www.stjo.org.
So many interesting jobs ! This is just great for these young people