A last-minute “yes” to a middle school Career Day volunteer opportunity became a moment I’m so glad I didn’t miss. This post reflects on how small decisions to show up, even when life feels especially full, can matter more for our kids and for us than we realize.
Back in early 2020, I was busy juggling my full-time digital marketing role at a fast paced tech company. Full calendar, full inbox, full life.
When it came to volunteering at the kids’ school, I had learned to be a bit selective. Work was demanding, and I tried to choose opportunities that felt manageable. So when the cool science teacher asked for parents to volunteer in a Career Day for the 7th and 8th graders to hear about different careers, I made what felt like a smart move.
I offered to be a backup.
It’s a classic strategy. You say yes, you feel helpful, but you’re not really expecting to be called. Like signing up to bring napkins to a potluck. Technically contributing. Low risk.
Except…the “backup” part got lost.
I received an enthusiastic response saying “thank you for volunteering!” and just like that, I was in.
When I told my son Dylan I’d be talking to his classmates about what I do for work, he gave me a slightly surprised look. So I asked for his advice on what I should talk about, thinking it would be fun to have his input.
His advice? “Just don’t be boring.” Geez. No pressure there!
I looked at the presenter list and felt the stakes rise. There was a veterinarian. A dentist. An artist. A CFO. A firefighter.
And then…me. Digital marketing. A job that didn’t even exist when I was growing up.
Standing between a firefighter and a CFO is not where you want to discover your job is hard to explain.
I knew I couldn’t walk in talking about dashboards and campaign metrics. That was a guaranteed way to lose attention quickly.
I ended up pulling together a few simple poster boards about what makes my job fun, what skills it requires and some of the cool use cases our products were in (Mars Rover, SpaceX, Apple iphones, fighter jets etc). I shared what I work on day-to-day, and showed them a live website so they could see it in action.
I also brought candy to encourage questions. Not my proudest professional tactic, but definitely one of the more effective ones.
When the day came, I arrived with what can only be described as a digital marketing shrine. I happened to be next to the CFO, who looked at my setup with a bit of confusion. I quickly reassured him he hadn’t missed anything…I was just following orders from my son 🙂
As the students filed in with that very specific middle school skepticism. They rotated through each presentation in groups, which made it feel a bit like Shark Tank. Five minutes to pitch, win them over, and hopefully not get silently voted out.
A couple of questions turned into more. The energy shifted a bit. The candy certainly didn’t hurt.
When it wrapped, I rushed over to Dylan to say goodbye and grab a quick hug before heading back to work. Then the moment of truth…I asked him how he thought it went. He gave me the best answer I could have hoped for when he said “can you come again next year?”
Unfortunately, there wasn’t a next year. COVID hit shortly after, and that Career Day ended up being the last one.
At the time, it felt like a small, slightly inconvenient commitment I tried to hedge. In hindsight, it was a memorable moment I’m glad I didn’t miss. The opportunities we almost pass on are often the ones that matter more than we realize. Kids are always paying attention. Not just to what we say, but to where and how we show up.
Happy Mother’s Day to the moms who show up, even when it’s not convenient, not polished, or not fully figured out.
Those moments count more than we think.
Thanks for reading and sharing! xx
