A year ago, Sophia Panameno was an eighth-grade student at Shasta Elementary School.

Career Day, a fixture at the Manteca Unified campus since 2000, wasn’t available to her back then.

The event founded by longtime Shasta teacher Stacee Wescott and her former colleague Jackie Kron featuring a host of local presenters from various occupations and fields was placed on hold for the past four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Panameno, now a freshman, was still able to navigate a possible field to her liking by getting involved in the MUSD culinary program known as BE.Cuisine.

“It was nice to come back here,” said Panameno, who segued into the program via Independent Study.

She was joined by classmates Ambiance Simpson and Victoria Uhls on the return of Career Day at Shasta School on Friday.

This marked the 19th year of the event that had some students dressed for success in their best wear.

Chef Julia Williams noted that her BE.Cuisine students are involved in catering various fundraiser events, getting internships, or landing in some of the finest culinary schools around.

Wescott indicated programs such as BE.Cuisine are readily available to all MUSD eighth graders as soon as next year.

Career Day 2023 kicked off with retired MUSD teacher Susan Morrisette speaking to the assembled students in the multi-purpose facility.

From there, they rotated to the various classrooms, hearing and receiving information from the likes of the school nurse (Nurse Gina) to business owner Miguel Gutierrez.

Representatives from Manteca Police Department (Officer Mike Kelly and Officer Carlos Gutierrez), Manteca Fire Department (Capt. Derek Long, Eng. Brian Macias, firefighter Jesse Yamada), Weeks Real Estate (Ninon Lapan-Dalman), and social worker April Jimenez were also listed among the scheduled Career Day speakers.