More than 250 New York City public high school students gathered on Oct. 20 for the UFT’s first in-person Future in Focus career fair since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The students had the chance to speak with representatives from 25 unions about the advantages of pursuing a career in which workers are unionized. “My students said it was eye-opening because they didn’t realize how many jobs they take for granted living in New York City are union jobs,” said Haseeb Khawaja, a teacher at the HS for Public Service in Brooklyn. A panel of young New York City workers talked about their career pathway after high school. “It was beneficial for the students to hear from those on the panel who were around their own age. It seemed like peers were giving them advice,” said Alicia Calca, a teacher at Forest Hills HS in Queens. UFT Vice President for Academic High Schools Janella Hinds, who is also the New York City Central Labor Council’s secretary-treasurer, told the students that “labor unions are there to ensure that workers are treated with dignity.”