Amy Keller, a funeral director at her family's business, Foster Funeral & Cremation Services, waits to be escorted to a classroom at Webster City High School Friday during Career Day.

Amy Keller said the skeleton on her cart Friday had nothing to do with her profession: funeral director.

As it happens, Halloween is approaching. The skeleton, she said, held a basket of candy for the students to whom she presented Friday, October 20, at the Webster City High School Career Day.

That day, at 8 a.m., the vast entrance to the competition gym at Webster City High School filled with professionals and student volunteers who helped the adults find the classrooms where they were about to spend the morning.

“We had over 60 presenters that represented the 16 career strands,” Tehra Brim, WCHS guidance secretary said.

From agriculture and architecture to trades and transportation, the presenters talked with hundreds of tomorrow’s adults.

It was a return to a mentoring format that had not been used for a while.

“It has been five-plus years since an event like this was held at the high school,” Brim said. “We are fortunate to have so many professionals in Webster City and the surrounding communities that were willing to take time out of their day to share their knowledge and experiences with over 500 students. Career Day could not have happened without each and every one of them.”

She added, “Each career strand consisted of a panel of two to four professionals in each category that shared what their ‘typical’ day consisted of, education needed, what they liked/disliked about their career, etc. We also had time for a Q & A from the students.”

Keller, whose father is Bob Erickson, a retired funeral director and owner of Foster Funeral & Cremation Center, didn’t just leap from her youth into the family business. For many years, she was a nurse. Eventually, though, she moved into the family business , she told the students.

In Iowa, she said, the only mortuary science program for future funeral directors is at Des Moines Area Community College.

In her classroom, “I had one person who wanted to be a funeral director.”

For all students, she shared this advice: “Find somebody that you can talk to to give you occupation advice.”

Here are the career strands that were available to the students on Career Day, according to Brim:

Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources

Architecture & Construction

Arts, Audio/Video Tech & Communication

Business Management & Administration

Education & Training

Finance

Government & Public Administration

Health Sciences

Hospitality & Tourism

Human Services

Information Technology

Law, Public Safety, Corrections, & Security

Manufacturing

Marketing

STEM

Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics

“We also created a strand for trades covered,” she said.