READING, Ohio — Seventh graders at Reading Junior Senior High School are dreaming bigger after coming face to face with community heroes through the Adopt-A-Class program.
The program brought first responders and professionals into students' lives, giving them a chance to explore careers they may never have considered before.
"I was thinking about, like, construction, but now I'm just open to everything," said Bennet Lantz, a seventh grade student at Reading Junior Senior High School.
For some, the experience sparked an entirely new direction.
"Now I think I want to be a police officer," said Serenity Edwards, a seventh grade student at the school.
Adopt-A-Class Chief Executive Officer Sonya Fultz said the program is designed to connect students across the region with real-world role models.
"We want students, 1,200 students from across the region, to have the opportunity to meet heroes and to talk to them about their pathway," Fultz said.
Fultz said Heroes Day goes beyond a simple classroom visit. It is about connection, representation and possibility.
WATCH: How Heroes Day teaches students about different careers
"Our goal is to really give them that opportunity to dream big and see those careers in action, so that they do understand what's possible," Fultz said.
Students said the experience is a wonderful opportunity to start thinking out career pathways.
"I think it's very important that we learn about it, because even if we don't pursue a job in this kind of field, it is very important to know about the people who go out and help many others," said Jade Ribarsky, a seventh grade student at Reading Junior Senior High School.
For many, the day was about more than careers. It was about self-discovery.
"I just like, thought of it as like, a cool opportunity, because I feel like as like kids our age, we're trying to discover ourselves and like, see what we would want to get into," said Joyce Abel, a seventh grade student.
The hands-on experience left a lasting impression, including a close-up look at equipment students had only seen on screens before.
"Oh my god, we're actually going somewhere to see helicopters, like real-life cars that you would usually see on TV or just on the news in general," Edwards said.
Leaders with Adopt-A-Class say heroes do not just exist in classrooms — they live and work right in the community, and they could be part of these students' futures.
