From colleges, businesses, and Emergency Management Services, it encompassed the full gamut of career pathways.

One by one, students absorbed as much intel as they could during the third annual Career, College, and Military readiness fair held Friday at Northern Lehigh High School.

About 65 vendors took part in the event in the high school gymnasium for students in grades 7-12, according to high school Assistant Principal Michael Strohl.

Among them, Strohl said, were several alumni of the school district.

“It was really good to see them here,” Strohl said. “It’s to gain student interest and career pathways.”

Strohl added the primary objective of the event was to educate students on career, college, and military readiness and planning.

“I want to thank the committee for putting this together,” he said. “It’s a team effort.”

Ninth-grader Isabella Seiler said she gained insight from her brief visit with Mark Mearhoff, president of Mearhoff Insurance in Easton.

“I learned that you don’t need a college degree to make a lot of money being an insurance person,” said Isabella.

Elsewhere in the high school gymnasium, sophomores Rhyan Heintzleman and Amyah Fisher stopped by the table of Bechtel’s Pharmacy Inc.

While there, Rhyan counted out a number of M&M’s and put them in a bottle where Ed Bechtel, a pharmacist at Bechtel’s Pharmacy, Slatington, had M&M’s and Skittles as part of the exercise.

“I’m trying to give them an idea of some of the things I do,” said Bechtel, who added he was teaching the students by taking take large stock bottles “and breaking down the amount to what we would dispense to the patients.”

Amyah said she believes the event was a valuable learning experience.

“I think this Career Fair is a really good idea for kids to know what they want to do,” Amyah said.

Just a little over from there, quite a number of students passed by a table set up by Northern Valley Emergency Medical Services.

While there, the students met with Kristie Wentling, executive director, NOVA.

“I was teaching them hands-only CPR, and showing them the medical equipment,” Wentling said. “It’s important to get he word out; we need more people to go into the field.”

Ninth-graders Kristian Diaz and Savion Lopez both took turns participating in CPR-related exercises.

“I learned a lot on chest compressions,” said Kristian. “You can’t be on an elevated surface.”

Savion more or less echoed his fellow classmate’s thoughts, adding “I did the airway thing, and chest compressions.”

Outside, Kyle Kromer, a patrolman with the Palmer Township Police Department, led a K-9 demonstration that was observed by Slatington Elementary students.

“They are as important to us as we are to them,” Kromer told the students. “We want to make sure that they are safe.”