By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – As an elementary school student, Cameron Kennedy is already taking his future acting career to heart.

“You have to have memorization, focus and talent,” Kennedy said, speaking without using his script, during Meadow View Elementary School’s “Future me” fair on May 13. “I love doing voices. I’ve been watching videos on how to be an actor, and I watch a lot of TV shows to build up my acting skills.”

Kenendy was one of nearly 50 students in Lindsey Thigpen’s gifted class at MVES who chose a career they would be interested in pursuing, researched it and donned the attire of their career during the Future me fairs, which were held throughout the week of May 9-13.

The students spent about five weeks learning about their chosen career, and prepared slideshows and a speech describing the qualities, education and salary expectations for the careers. During the fairs, the students confidently delivered their presentations to their classmates and family members.

In addition to careers such as professional basketball, football and soccer players, the students also chose jobs such as computer programmers, detectives and restaurant hostesses.

“It’s been neat to see how they have inspired their classmates. I think they are very proud of the work they have done, and I know I am very proud of them,” Thigpen said. “They are never too young to start thinking about what the future might hold.”

Evan Caldarello said he wants to be a computer scientist when he grows up, and said he is looking to earn his doctorate later in life.

“I like working with computers,” he said, noting computer scientists earn upward of $108,000 per year.

His classmate, Abbie Cortright, said she would like to work as a restaurant hostess, and said she is already working on honing her communication skills to prepare for the future.

“I love food,” Cortright said with a smile after presenting the findings of her research in the field.

Giulia Wekesa is well on her way to realizing her goal to become a professional soccer player.

“I started taking soccer lessons when I was 4,” Wekesa said. “To become a professional soccer player, you have to have concentration, athleticism and teamwork.”