BY ELAINE STIEB
Lake Orion Review Editor
Do you remember the first time someone asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up? When you were six, you probably said fireman. When you were 10 the answer was a baseball player.
By the time you arrived at high school, adult pressure to come up with a realistic answer increased. People kept asking you what you planned to major in when you went to college.
You knew it was the time to come up with an answer — so you did, even if you weren’t sure it was the right career choice.
Now, much later, it’s thousands of dollars in tuition gone and you’re not happy with your career. If you had just known the right course of study to pursue.
Two women, who will be familiar to many in the Lake Orion area, decided to combine forces to help high school students figure out a future that’s just right for them.
Kye Ferguson and Linda DuChene have 39 years of combined high school teaching and guidance counseling experience. They both taught at Lake Orion High School and coached the school’s varsity cheerleaders to a national championship in the 1970s.
Ferguson ended her career as a counselor at the high school last year. DuChene moved into advertising after seven years as a teacher and stayed in that industry for 27 years before connecting up with Ferguson.
The two said they both thought about providing career goal courses before getting together to form Selfstategies.
For DuChene it was trying to help her high school daughter, who wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life, that sparked an interest in career guidance.
‘I ran her through a customized program I had been using,? she said. ‘In one afternoon, we figured out what she wanted to do.?
DuChane realized there were other kids out there who would benefit from this type of help and put together a plan. She then found out Ferguson was retiring and had the exact same idea.
‘The rest is history. The program is evolving at a rapid rate,? Ferguson said. ‘Linda brings the business insight and marketing skills. I saw a need for this. I need to know I can make a difference in a kid’s life.?
With her 18 years of experience in guidance counseling, Ferguson has a wealth of information on careers and resource people.
‘Kye has the ability to find patterns and extracts them from you. I’m awed by her ability to pick out strengths and weaknesses (from people),? DuChene said.
Both women are certified in two of the most powerful and proven assessment tests available — the Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator and the Strong Interest Inventory. Ferguson said there was never enough time to use the tests at the high school.
According to Ferguson, Lake Orion does a good job trying to get career information to students, but there are a lot of distractions for the teens.
‘Kids get bits and pieces, not one clear language. We didn’t have time to cover in-depth assessments. Oakland Schools implemented a career exploring program, but there is no in-depth follow up for each student,? she added.
Ferguson’s and DuChene’s goal is to steer kids into a satisfying career.
‘Kids know what classes they’re good at — math, art — but they don’t know what other careers are available. They just come up with quick answers. Some do research, but very little,? Ferguson said.
‘Stay true to who you are and you’ll do fine in a career.?
The two women also guide students in selecting the right college/training for them.
‘This (their course) isn’t only for college. Regular classes may not suit everyone. A hands-on environment/apprenticeship program may be the best place for some,? Ferguson said.
Ferguson and DuChene’s ‘Find Your Future Workshops? starts by high school students taking the MBTI and SII assessments on-line. The workshops are divided into three sessions.
The sessions will help students identify their talents and how they relate to their future choices. An action plan will be developed for pursuing ‘best-fit? post-high school training.
‘What a better education you’d receive by selecting a school with the right programs and teaching methods that develop your unique talents,? Ferguson said.
Other highlights of the program include small class sizes or private consultations, interactive exercises, on-line assessments, occupational resource list, and other valuable assessment and career materials.
For more information on ‘Find Your Future Workshop,? contact Ferguson at selfstrategies@hotmail.com or call 248-830-6002.