In 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to disrupt Washakie County’s annual career fair for local youth. But 4-H educator Amber Armajo wasn’t about to let that happen. Despite the logistical challenges, she knew she had to find a way to host the event, even if it meant dreaming up a totally new approach.
In her years of organizing in-person career fairs, Armajo had received overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants. A family from Hot Springs County, for instance, credited the fair with inspiring their son to pursue a successful career as an electrician.
Turning adversity into opportunity
Thanks to Armajo’s hard work and creativity, the 2021 event was presented in an innovative new format. Rather than requiring participants to travel to Washakie County, Armajo launched Wyoming 4-H’s first virtual career night.
“We can’t always bring people to Worland, but we can bring them online,” she explains. “In small town, rural Wyoming we don’t always know what’s out there as far as careers. This is a great opportunity to explore.”
Hosted via Zoom, the now-annual online event offers an opportunity for young people to interact with successful professionals in fields ranging from agriculture, firefighting, and wildlife management to video production, tourism, and exercise physiology.
Virtual career night opened my eyes to the many jobs that are out there. It is easier to choose a job that you want to do when you can interact with those who have done or are doing those jobs. Whether you are getting ready for college or just starting 4-H, this interactive program is a great learning opportunity for all ages.
Something for everyone
Armajo does her best to feature a variety of careers in the trades as well as those requiring higher education. In the past four years, she has recruited an impressive variety of speakers from Wyoming and across the country—including a zookeeper, scuba diver, leatherwork designer, auctioneer, graphic designer, jet engine mechanic, and many others. “People are usually very excited and willing to share, especially for kids,” she comments.
While Armajo and colleagues in Wyoming 4-H are responsible for organizing the fair, the event is free and open to any youth who are interested in participating. In 2024, 240 participants from 26 states registered for virtual career night.
“There were lots of different career people there,” says Miranda Smith, a Niobrara County 4-H member. “I really liked how you could pick out which careers you were interested in and go to those certain [Zoom] breakout rooms to learn about them.”
Rather than become complacent, Armajo has continued to experiment with the event’s structure and reach out to new speakers. “I always like to think big,” she says. “It’s a whole new group of presenters and we also try to do different topics every year.”
She doesn’t hesitate to leverage connections—or make new ones—with potential presenters both nearby and farther away.
In 2023, she recruited Ryan “Cal” Callaghan of the MeatEater podcast and Netflix series; in 2024, YouTube personality and agricultural professional Greg Peterson of the Peterson Farm Brothers joined the event.
Encouraging open-mindedness
“When we first started, we wanted to show kids what’s available in Wyoming, but we’ve realized it’s important to broaden the scope. Sometimes they only see what’s available in their hometowns, or in the state, and I think it’s fun for them to broaden their horizons and see what’s out there,” Armajo explains.
In addition to featured speakers from across the country, she has also recruited representatives from Wyoming community colleges, a scholarship coordinator based in Riverton, and a recent college graduate from Lusk who offered the audience a peer-to-peer perspective.
Each presentation is typically about 15 minutes, and Armajo makes sure to allow time for students to ask questions. She also records each session, with the goal of building an ongoing library of careers for young people to explore at their convenience.
“I think it was well received and the kids did learn from it,” she reflects. “I think they learned to be open minded, is what I’m gathering from evaluations. To look at everything and open their eyes to some different careers.”
To learn more about the career fair and view recorded presentations, visit https://bit.ly/wy-4h-career-fair. To register for the 2025 event, visit https://bit.ly/wy-4-h-career-night-2025. Contact Armajo at amwall@uwyo.edu or (307) 347-3431 with questions.
This article was originally published in the 2024 issue of Roots & Ranges, an annual magazine published by the UW College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources.
