Decatur veterinarian Steve Osborne told summer school students at Thursday’s career fair at Tanner High School that anyone in the room could be a vet if they were willing to invest in themselves and delay self-gratification for a while – through six years of college.

He also told them that, contrary to popular belief, you can’t be a good vet if you love animals but hate people.

“Until dogs start carrying credit cards, you will have to be a people person, too,” he told the students.

He was one of several speakers who gathered at the school to teach middle schoolers to start thinking about their careers.

Cosmetologist Bridget Townsend urged students to go with their heart and the money will follow – depending on how much they are willing to work.

“I knew what I wanted to do when I was 13,” she said. “I was always chasing people around wanting to do their hair.”

Looking back over the 17 years she has been a cosmetologist, she said she wished she had been more prepared.

“I should have taken some business classes,” she told students.

She said a cosmetologist can make anywhere from $30,000 to $100,000 a year, depending upon whether they own their own business and the number of hours they work.

Calhoun Community College welding instructor Calvin Washington urged students to find out what enthuses them and work toward a job that pays well.

He said welders – male and female – who graduate from Calhoun’s program are earning $20 to $27 per hour. He also told students to do what they love, even if it is a sideline to their main career. For example, as a music lover, Washington said he opened a sound stage and is also a booking agent, which has enable him to meet many contemporary artists.

He passed around some of the backstage passes he has received over the years.

Although Limestone County Schools already has career counselors at the high schools during the school year, this program was for middle schoolers.

The money for the career-coach initiative comes from the Workforce Investment Act, said Career Coach Jackie Warner, who serves students in Athens, Limestone County and Decatur. “There are 18 career coaches across North Alabama, Region 2. Aaron Jordan of Calhoun serves students in Limestone and Madison city.

This is the first career-coach mentoring program in Limestone County.

Those who spoke Thursday – including nurse Mark Reynolds, part-time photographer and Calhoun administrative assistant Carla Swinney, pharmacist Jeb Jones, baker Suzanne Schrimsher and Athens Police Sgt. David Whitt – think career coaching is a good idea.

“The career counselors are part of Superintendent Dr. Barry Carroll’s vision for middle school students, said Tanner High Graduation Coach and Counselor Deana Young.

“We plan to have a career counselor come two times during summer school,” she said. She stressed that career counseling has to be an ongoing process.

“We have found that career counseling has to continue more than three months or it does not work for the students,” she said.

A career counselor first helps students identify their interests and then helps them find the educational background or skills needed to find a job they will enjoy, which makes life better.

The message to students Thursday seemed to be: find out who you are and what you like.