Those of us who attended AIHce this year were treated to an unforgettable closing keynote by Fredi Lajvardi. The story of how Lajvardi, an educator in the Phoenix area, inspired high school students to embrace science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) should resonate with everyone who has wondered how to encourage young people to pursue a career in occupational and environmental health and safety. Since joining the Si Se Puede Foundation, Lajvardi has been applying his motivational skills to college-aged students—a demographic that also has great potential to help secure the future of the OEHS profession. What’s needed is a commitment from each of us to introduce these students to the exciting, fulfilling world of OEHS.

A REWARDING CAREER Thanks to the recently relaunched I Am IH Leadership Challenge, it is easier than ever for AIHA members to spread the word about OEHS. As I explained in last month’s Synergist column, the challenge encourages AIHA members to make presentations to receptive audiences like college students. By filling out a form on the AIHA website, you can request help from AIHA staff in setting up meetings with the institutions you’d like to visit.

My article in the August issue focused on materials about OEHS for children in elementary and secondary schools. AIHA also has resources for older, college-age students. The hub for much of this information is AIHA’s OEHS Science Careers website. The site includes resources that explain why students should pursue a career in OEHS, the varied educational backgrounds of OEHS professionals, the personality types best suited to an OEHS career, and the kinds of things that students can do with an OEHS degree. Links on the site help students find accredited university programs in OEHS and AIHA student sections.

If you’re giving a presentation to college students, consider sharing the material (PDF). This short presentation explains how OEHS professionals are needed in every industry, in every part of the world. It gives students a sense of the varied settings where OEHS professionals work, from office buildings, manufacturing plants, hospitals, and construction sites to corporate labs and even Hollywood movie sets. It appeals to the compassion and goodwill of many young people by explaining the roles OEHS professionals play in helping responders and communities following natural disasters. And it provides some statistics that show how OEHS careers are economically rewarding thanks to high demand and higher salaries compared to other science and health-based careers. I encourage members to share resources and contacts that support outreach efforts to various student audiences so we can learn from one another.