BETHEL — On Friday, Oct, 25, Telstar found its gym full of students, browsing between tables that featured local businesses, there to talk about employment opportunities. This event was the first Telstar Job Fair – a chance for students to learn about local employment and become aware of who may be hiring.

The event itself was arranged and hosted not by the businesses themselves, but by students. The Future Business Leaders of America club at Telstar High School, headed by Lily Souther and Gabby Thompson, co-presidents of the club. The FBLA is a national organization with local chapters. Telstar’s chapter is the only one in Oxford County. It includes a small group of dedicated students, with an interest in business and the local area.

Souther said, “We wanted to do a career fair to get kids outside the club interested in business.” They worked in tandem with the Bethel Chamber of Commerce to invite businesses. Their primary focus was the Bethel area, but invites extended to businesses throughout Oxford County.

A total of 26 businesses accepted the invitation, though some did not show up on the actual day itself. The Chamber of Commerce assisted businesses with the registration process, setting up a link on its website. “They pretty much took over the inviting process,” said Thompson. But the work with the school itself was still run entirely by the students, including reservation of the gym, planning the date and time, and communicating with the school management.

The main goal of the event was described as, “Get kids connected with employers for part-time employment or full-time employment after they graduate,” according to Souther. The turnout ended up surprising all participants. “We didn’t expect this many kids,” Souther admitted.

Turnout included not just students from Telstar, but also students from Region 9 School of Applied Technology and Gould Academy. Telstar students were given a worksheet to fill out, listing pros and cons of each possible job. Souther explained that they “wanted something to engage people.”

One of the guest businesses was BAAM, with a table run by Kate Webb. Though they were not directly hiring, she said “I wanted to show kids there are jobs in the arts other than being an artist.” Other businesses included the Good Food Store, Hancock Mill, and Sunday River, to name a few. Each had their own flyers, cards, and candy to attract students to their various spaces.

The event itself was also attended by Bobbi Vandenbulcke of the Chamber of Commerce. She expressed pride in the students’ accomplishments. “This is way beyond my wildest dreams,” she said. “The students did such a great job.”

Souther has been the president of the club since junior year, and expressed enthusiasm for the club’s work. “I think it provides good opportunities to focus on the Maine community.” Both students hoped to have a chance to recruit more students into the FBLA club when the job fair itself was over.