NWKS Radio Visits with Students at Colby 7th Grade Career Fair

The Colby Event Center was buzzing with curiosity and excitement Wednesday morning as dozens of local businesses gathered to help inspire the next generation at the Colby 7th Grade Career Fair.

Among the businesses participating was NWKS Radio, where General Manager Chad Jones and morning personality Joel Navarro spent the morning showing students what life is like inside a local radio station. From broadcasting and sales to marketing, event promotions, and billing, students got a behind-the-scenes look at the many different careers that keep a radio station running.

Some of the students even had the opportunity to step up to the microphone and go live on-air on 100.3 The Ride, getting their first taste of what it feels like to be on the radio.

The event, organized by Colby Middle School Student Advocate Renae Gardner and others, continues to grow each year thanks to strong community support.

“I think this is probably our fourth or fifth year somewhere in there,” Gardner said. “Usually around 20 to 23 businesses come out. We have a very supportive community that wants to help our kids learn.”

The career fair is designed to expose students to a wide variety of professions and industries. Businesses from fields such as agriculture, healthcare, media, information technology, graphic design, and more set up booths and visited with students throughout the morning.

Gardner explained that the goal is to help students see the possibilities that exist right in their own community.

“We try to find representatives from different career clusters so kids can see what umbrella different careers fall under,” Gardner said. “It’s really about giving them exposure to what’s out there.”

Students rotated through stations in 13-minute sessions, allowing them to visit multiple businesses during the two-hour event. Each student selected several career stations they were most interested in seeing, helping create a personalized learning experience.

According to Gardner, the response from both businesses and students continues to be overwhelmingly positive.

“We usually have a very good response from businesses about how respectful the students are and how they ask questions,” she said. “They really do want to learn.”

Events like the Colby 7th Grade Career Fair highlight the strong partnership between local schools and community organizations. By connecting students with real professionals, the fair encourages young people to start thinking about their future and discovering careers they may be passionate about.

Gardner hopes students leave with a better understanding of the opportunities around them.

“I hope they walk away seeing how amazing our community is and what’s out there for them if they want to stay here,” Gardner said. “We want them to start thinking about their dreams and find something they’re passionate about.”

For NWKS Radio, it was another chance to connect with the community and perhaps even spark interest in the next generation of broadcasters.

And who knows — after Wednesday morning’s on-air appearances, Colby may already have a few future radio stars in the making. 📻✨