Fourth- and fifth-grade students at Yvonne E. Milliner-Bowsky Elementary School on St. Thomas met professional truck drivers Friday, who volunteered their time during a hands-on career event highlighting transportation jobs and future workforce opportunities.
The event was part of the school’s “Week of the Intermediate Child” celebration, a program focused on older elementary students as they prepare to transition into middle school. This year’s theme, “Big Rigs, Big Dreams: Moving Places,” transformed the campus into a career-focused learning space centered on trucking and transportation, encouraging students to think broadly about future career paths.
“We’re highlighting the Week of the Intermediate Child, which focuses on our fourth and fifth grade students,” said assistant principal Kalamis Maduro. “It actually originated here years ago, so it’s something that’s sustainable that we wanted to keep active and going in the school.”
Maduro said the week included a series of themed activities leading up to Friday’s truck show. Students built cardboard trucks earlier in the week, which truck drivers were scheduled to judge for realism, creativity and innovation. They also participated in career dress-up days, took part in a “Wacky Wednesday,” and observed transportation-themed activities representing different modes of travel.
Maduro said the event also aimed to challenge stereotypes about who can work in the trucking industry, noting that students often associate truck driving with men. She said organizers intentionally highlighted women and younger drivers to broaden that perception and show students a wider range of role models.
Among the participants were Le’cajae Henry, a recent Ivanna Eudora Kean High School graduate who drives a truck known as “Unruly Beast,” and Namibia Williams, a Department of Education employee who also works in transportation.
The event also featured 9-year-old Keegan Brooks of the British Virgin Islands, who can already operate a truck under supervision. Organizers said his participation was meant to show students that age should not limit what they believe they can achieve.
Maduro said the final activity would involve a water truck interacting with students in a celebratory end-of-week event.
Paraprofessional Kishma David said one goal of the event was to expand students’ understanding of success beyond a traditional college path. She said many students are often taught that a four-year degree is the only route to stability, but that skilled trades can also lead to strong careers.
David pointed to trucking as an example, noting that students can pursue training, earn a commercial driver’s license and build high-paying careers in the industry without attending college. She said the message was intended to show students that multiple pathways can lead to success in life and that they should not feel limited in their future options.
She also said the idea for the truck show was partly inspired by students’ natural interest in trucks during school activities, recalling how excited children would be when drivers honked their horns during outdoor time. That enthusiasm, she said, helped spark the idea for a hands-on career event featuring real trucks and drivers on campus.
The truckers were volunteers who, according to staff, were eager to attend and answer students’ questions.
“Apparently it seems like it’s been over three years since there was a truck show,” Maduro said. “So the truck drivers were very enthusiastic and willing. Today we even had truck drivers that came that weren’t invited because they were so excited to share their craft and their careers… just showing the children that there are other things that you can do once you apply yourself, and as the years go on, we’ll pick different trades for them to explore.”
