By GINNY COOPER / Staff Writer

CALERA—Calera Elementary School second-graders let out a collective “ewww,” as endoscopist Matthew Vanscant inserted a flexible endoscope up his nose, so the children could see the inside of his nose, ears and throat.

Vancant was one of almost twenty professionals who participated in Calera Elementary School’s career day. A photographer, paramedic, hazmat team, meteorologist, musician, firemen, policemen and a golf instructor also shared about their jobs.

Josh Markham from Cook’s Pest Control brought a few special guests for his presentation: A slew of Madagascar hissing cockroaches and a tarantula, which the kids got to touch.

“I rubbed its skin and it felt super soft,” one kindergartener said of the cockroach.

Children’s Hospital donated scrubs for the office staff, and the front office was decorated like a surgical room, complete with a plastic patient on a stretcher and a pretend x-ray machine.

Carrie Cashion, the counselor for Calera Elementary, said the kids look forward to the annual event.

“We play it up pretty big. The kids genuinely love it and it’s good for them to start thinking about what they want to be,” she said.