More than 3,000 freshmen students from across Central Arkansas stepped into the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock with one big question on their minds: “What could my future look like?”
At the Academies of Central Arkansas Career Expo, Entergy Arkansas employees were ready with answers—along with bucket trucks, the crowd-favorite Arcs & Sparks safety demonstration, and plenty of conversation.
The annual expo brings together ninth-grade students from the Pulaski County Special School District to explore dozens of career pathways available across Arkansas. For many students, it’s their first real opportunity to learn about the range of jobs available in their own backyard.
For Entergy Arkansas Existing Business Project Manager Katherine Holmstrom, the day was about visibility—and possibility.
“If the students can’t see it, they can’t be it,” Holmstrom said. “We’re just trying to give them exposure to all different kinds of careers and hopefully spark some interest and give them ideas about what they want to do in the future.”
Holmstrom emphasized that Entergy offers far more than the lineworkers and bucket trucks that naturally draw attention on the expo floor.
“We are highlighting careers all across Entergy,” Holmstrom said. “We have volunteers from engineering, the Distribution and Operations Center, customer service representatives and so much more. We want them to be interested in us. We want to learn more about them and how their interests can cross with our potential careers.”
The hands-on demonstrations helped bring those careers to life. Lineworkers walked students through their daily work and training paths, while employees from across the company explained how their skills and interests could connect to a future at Entergy.
Entergy Arkansas Capital Project Renewable Manager Craig Harris, says the event was about giving students the guidance he wished he’d had.
“When I was this age, I did not know what I wanted to do,” Harris said. “I want to educate students that there are different ways of making a living. I get to talk to kids and let them know what I know to make their lives a little easier.”
Freshmen weren’t the only ones learning, either. Student ambassadors from the Academies program—upperclassmen who guide younger students through their Academy choices—said the expo continues to open their own eyes to new opportunities.
Jo Fletcher, a junior at Joe T. Robinson High School and Academies of Central Arkansas Ambassador, remembers what it was like to be in those freshmen shoes.
“When you ask most kids ‘what do you want to do when you get older’ they have no idea,” Fletcher said. “The Academies of Central Arkansas show them what’s out there. It gives students hands on experience to find careers that fit their interests.”
That exposure, she said, is what makes all the difference.
“Some of the careers Entergy explained to us, I had no idea they existed until they told us about it,” Fletcher said. “I feel like that’s the case with most students.”
With thousands of students exploring career pathways and dozens of employers offering a glimpse into their worlds, the expo plays an important role in shaping the region’s future workforce. For Entergy Arkansas, it’s more than a recruitment opportunity, it’s a chance to inspire.
“It’s a really good opportunity to get in front of these students and help them learn a little more about Entergy,” Holmstrom said. “We want to show them these careers exist, they are fun and you can make a really good living.”
From the sparks flying at the electrical safety display to the conversations happening across the booth, Entergy Arkansas employees helped students discover what’s possible—and perhaps sparked the first step toward a future career.
