Everywhere we looked at yesterday’s NW Youth Careers Expo and Expo Breakfast, we saw high school students getting one-on-one attention from adults.

We saw Gov. Kate Brown and Portland Mayor Charlie Hales listening intently to the Portland teens at their breakfast table. We watched a volunteer named Jeremy joking with students as he showed them the ropes on power-line repair.

We saw doctors, welders, graphic designers, general contractors, green-energy experts, HR managers and high-end shoe designers spending the day with more than 5,600 students — listening, sharing advice, touting internship programs, and patting them on the back for trying something new.

For these many hundreds of volunteers, we at PWA are thankful.

We’re thankful for the folks from the Portland Human Resource Management Association who coached about 1,000 students – one at a time – on great interviewing techniques.

We’re thankful for our Expo sponsors, whose support enables us to help students year-round.

We’re also thankful for our incredible diversity of exhibitors. This year, we had about 130 exhibitors representing our key post-secondary partners and more than 100 of the region’s top employers.

Finally, we’re thankful for everyone who reaffirmed their commitment to help Oregon young people become well-educated adults with meaningful careers. That included Sam Blackman, the local tech executive who spoke at our Expo Breakfast, as well as scores of other community leaders.

Browse our website to find ways to get involved.  As always, feel free to contact us for more information about volunteering.

Your team at PWA