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NCDA Poetry and Poster Contests Winners

2004 – 05 National Poetry and Poster Contest Winners
Sponsored by the National Career Development Association
Awards sponsored by JA Worldwide
National Theme:
My Career: Imagine the Possibilities!

Each entry celebrated and inspired career development with a positive tone. Every adult and student enrolled in public, private, and parochial schools in states with NCDA state divisions were eligible.

Click here to see the Poster winners.

Click on the winner listed below to read the winning poem.



Primary K-2

1st Place
Toy Maker
By Bobby Wilson

A toymaker that is what I would like to be.
What a fun job for me!

I would figure out what toys to create.
I would use my imaginations to make them great.

I would be using my ideas to make a plan.
Then I would put things together with plastic and paint in a can.

Then I would give my toys away for kids to try.
Maybe they will like my toys enough to buy.

2nd Place
My Career: “Imagine the Possibilities”
By Paxton Green

I imagine myself as a fire fighter,
I will save people’s lives.

This will be great! Even Kittens get to keep their nine lives!

I imagine myself teaching children how to put out fires.

I will make sure to tell them not to play with lighters.

I imagine myself showing children how to stop, drop, and roll.

This takes practice. I will need lots of self control.

Imagine the possibilities, if I were a fire fighter.

I can’t wait, although I need to grow a little higher.

3rd Place
What I Can Be
By Walker Auman

When I grow up, I will be
Someone special wait and see.

A general brave and strong,
Protecting the troops all day long;

Or a teacher doing my best,
Helping children pass the test;

A magician doing tricks just like that,
Pulling a bunny out of a hat;

Everything that I can be
Is all up to me!

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Intermediate Grades 3-5

1st Place
To Be A Musician
By Christina Kaye

To be a musician I want to play
A musical instrument that sings all day
I’d press the keys and hear the sounds
That come from everywhere and all around
To sit so regal on a chair
And let the music play into the air
I’d look around for all to see
That wonderful music is made by me

To be a musician, I want to play
To make people happy and cheerful all day
The beats of my trumpet fill their hearts
They all stop to listen before I start
And when they look all eyes on me
I’d play so beautiful for all to see
That wonderful music is made by me

To be a musician, I want to play
Classical, pop and jazz someday
Practicing practicing never wanting to end
My fingers hurt and begin to bend,
But that doesn’t stop me, no it does not
For the love of my music comes from my heart
I’d play so amazingly for all to see
That wonderful music is made by me

To be a musician, my trumpet and me
All shiny and new, as perfect as can be
With beautiful tones coming out of my horn
Together we play and I know we belong
I play louder and louder with each passing day
It just sounds so beautiful each time I play
I’d play with my band for all to see
That wonderful music is made by me

To be a musician I want to play
It just makes me happy throughout the day
I play my music soft or loud
It makes me feel so very proud
When things are hard, I just start to play,
It helps me look at things in a different way
Some people can read, do math or write
Thanks that come easy without any strife
But for me that is not how its usually been
Except with my trumpet when my music begins
Forgetting the things that I just cannot do
Forgetting the things that “I don’t have a clue”
For making music is just what I do
Without any though, or anyone’s view
I’d play my heart out for all to see
My wonderful music is just part of me!

2nd Place
Imagine the Possibilities
By Shelley McMoy

Of all the things that I could be,
What I want to be most
Is something that is very extreme
Like an explorer on a far post,
Or maybe something trendy that will give me lots of fame.
Yes, I could be a reporter. Then everyone knows my name.
Oh, imagine the possibilities.
That is what I say.
The jobs are all so fascinating
In this fast-paced day.
I guess I’ll have to stay in school,
Then choose what I desire.
Yet there are so many choices
Plus lots of jobs that I admire.
Imagine the possibilities.
It is my favorite phrase.
It reminds me of what I can be
After I pass fifth grade.

3rd Place
Endless Possibilities
By Abigail Hedlin

Imagine…
I’m heading back in history,
To another place and time.
I’m a slave, I’m a pioneer,
I’m a kid in the Great Depression with only a dime.
Imagine…
I’m on a riding adventure,
With my horse beneath me,
I’m with my friends; I trot, I cantor,
Out on the trails, I feel totally free.
Imagine…
My name is Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout.
You may know my friends, Ickle, Pickle, and Tickle too,
I refuse to take the garbage out!
And they disappeared in a flying shoe.
Imagine…
I’m a teacher, and I’m called “Mrs.”
I clap my hands twice when I want quiet.
There’s a little girl in my class who tests me daily.
If there’s trouble available, she’s bound to try it.
Imagine…
I’m a gymnast, my name is Jodie,
I have an Olympic dream.
My team is called the Pinecones.
I work hard on the floor, the vault, and the beam.
How can I imagine being all of these things?
What career could be such a ball?
Well, when I become a librarian,
I can imagine myself doing it all.
My imagination will join Junie B.,
American Girl and the Gymnast Series too,
Shel Silverstein and the Saddle Club books,
Just to name a few.
Imagine all the possibilities,
In the job that I want to do.
I’ll help kids use their imaginations,
And see the possibilities too.

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Middle Grades 6-8

1st Place
Endless Possibilities
By Hope Jacques

So many possibilities in the world exist
Too many for me to comprehend or even list
Don’t go along and follow what people want you to do
Make the choice that is right for you

Because in ten years it won’t matter if you were a football player
Or cheerleader for the school
Or if you were unpopular or not very cool
Everyone was put on this earth for a purpose
So look inside someone and not on the surface

Think carefully on what choice you choose
This is your life you could have to lose
It won’t matter how many people you have dated
Or if the jeans you are wearing is a trend that just faded

So when people tell you these things everyday
Open up your ears and listen to what they have to say
When you are older you will realize
What people told you was not a lie

You can do more than you will ever believe
Just wait for the future and you will see!

2nd Place
My Career! Imagine the Possibilities
By Amanda Broom

Teachers teach, preachers preach,
There is no dream that you cannot reach.
You could be doctor and fix someone’s arm,
Or you could grow crops and live on a farm.
You can be an artist and paint on a wall,
Or you could be an architect and build a big mall.
All these things anyone could do,
It’s all up to you as to what you pursue.

3rd Place
An Artist At Work: Imagine the Possibilities
By Tyler Jackson

Beauty comes on print,
Pictures of pure element,
An artist at work.

One’s personality,
Comes up in his greatest works,
The true form of art.

Wonderful pictures,
Come in all shapes and sizes,
But all loved greatly

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Senior Grades 9-12

1st Place
Jobs Imagine the Possibilities
By Zachary M. Sandoval

Careers, jobs
So many to choose,
Countless possibilities
Nothing to lose.
So many subjects, choices galore,
Applying yourself can
Open the door.

All jobs have merit,
And recipes for success
You need to have courage,
Perseverance and finesse.

Electricians, doctors, teachers, and cooks
Have one thing in common
That’s no tin the books,
But rather in emotional nooks.

Working together for the common good
Making society as strong as they should.
Loving their work day after day,
Making the world brighter
In every which way.

Working together
Hand in hand
Different professions
Make a stong land.

Finding the right job
Can make a difference
Doing a great job
Takes persistence.

2nd Place
My Career…Imagine the Possibilities
By Michelle Burgess

We all have many careers to chose from
But the hard part is choosing one.
I look at our many possibilities and wonder
To myself could that ever be “me”
Trying each one on searching for the perfect fit
Stumbling across each choice for a little bit.
I look at the salaries, and the years of education.
And I really start o measure my dedication.
Seeing which one matches my destiny
And who I really want to be.
While I try to choose, I analyze the job requirements
Not just looking at the one with the loftiest retirement.
Many of the doubtful choices go out the door
While I search for even more.
Till I am left with the doctor analyzing and prescribing
The lawyer prosecuting, defending or compromising
The pharmacist calculating and formulating
And the fashion designer thinking and creating
Or even the psychologist listening and helping
But I just can’t find the perfect choice
Waiting for that day when I can finally find the right one and rejoice.
Because you’ll never work a day if pick the perfect one.
Otherwise your career will seem like a boring chore that you just have to do,
instead of a wonderful part of your life that you love to do.
This is my number one objective: following the plan of my destiny
And not just satisfying someone else’s idea of who I should be.

3rd Place
Imagine the Possibilites
By Sharon Brooks

Imagine the possibilities
Imagine all your dreams coming true
With numerous abilities
There’s no limit to what you can do
You could cure a deadly disease
Or handle important accounts with ease
You can sing on stage to millions of fans
Or be a mechanic and work with your hands
If you work hard you can be a success
And thus increase your happiness
Imagine the opportunities
That will come knocking at your door
When you develop strong abilities
Good work ethics, and much more.

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Adult Student

1st Place
The Healers of the World
By Kathryn Marston

A bright flame of hope fearlessly
Defies the all consuming night
They heal us, they comfort us, and make us well

They are the helpers
Who bring us into the world
They are the healers of diseases
Infection and much more
They are the bright sunshine that fills our lives with joy

These few, but the mighty, are Nurses.
Giving all they can give with an aura of kindness surrounding them.
They are guardian angels of the light.
They are the most unselfish of all human kind.

They embrace,
forgive,
nurture, heal
and love us
Nurses are the
light that shines
brightly for all
the world to see..
Role models to
All of the young,
Honored by all adults,
And truly appreciated by every one of our elders
An angel to all around them
Healing as much as they can
With all their skill and knowledge
They are truly God’s little helpers
And so I continue to hope and dream
That I might one day be called a Nurse
To help all those in need and be the angel
That nurses have been to me and to so many others.
Their help sometimes is overlooked in present times.
However there is no denying who it is that has saved your life
Or even who helped to bring you out into the light of life but Nurses
They are beyond doubt the light that staunchly defends those who are weak
Our heroes/heroines that always keep us safe and well no matter what ails us
Nurses are indeed our faithful guardian angels who safeguard against any trouble
And so it is with my heart full of hope I pray that I can someday be a Nurse too.

2nd Place
My Art Career: A Vision of Possibilities
By Martha E. Trowell

First, a star twinkling in the distance;
a dream.
Then the moon reflecting its light;
a guide.
Now, sunlight lighting the way down;
a chosen path.

Each day is a new life beginning;
a fulfillment.
Everyday, I am winning by devising;
a plan.
Today, the creative wheels are turning;
a force.

I shall keep my feet moving forward on
a straight path.
I shall keep the errant mind focused
on the task.
I can mend monetary reverses. I am
resourceful.

I am stronger than pressure that builds.
I have constraint.
From the cold and heat of everyday life,
I seek comfort in friends.
My goal burns steadily within me;
an infused star.

I shall carry these proven strengths
across the goal.
I am inspired to achieve what I
passionately hold.
I have envisioned exciting possibilities
that could unfold.

3rd Place
My Career: Imagine the Possibilities!
By Sheila DeCarlo

Imagine the possibilities my future bestows
My mind will run to and fro
I could go left I could go right
But forward is always the way my feet flight
I have hopes I have dreams
Education is the way it seems
So I will run with all my might
Into the future education its right.

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Open Adult

1st Place
“My Career: Imagine the Possibilities”
by Yas Djadali

What is my career, the path I must take,
Defining myself, the money I make?

What is that which I do for fun,
From 8 to 5, or ‘til the work gets done?

And how will I know if this path is for me,
If my talents are worthy of others to see?

And can I have more than just one,
In case I get bored, or my first career’s done?

And what if I start to feel scared,
To leave what I have; Am I even prepared?

All of these questions enter my mind,
Blocking me from what I must find.

‘Cause when I pretend the fear is not there,
That possibilities exist everywhere,

I begin to know what’s behind a career,
An evolving purpose, it’s why I am here.

Not just a job that I do everyday,
From 8 to 5, so the bills I can pay.

It’s giving the world something unique,
Which no one else can just learn in a week.

My career is an extension of all that I am,
Of that which is natural, my personal brand.

And in its absence, a void there would be,
‘Cause no one else on earth can be me.

So even though, at times I feel stuck,
Get bored or indifferent, feel out of luck,

I’ll know I’ve re-entered the river of change,
Between two banks, lost and estranged.

Yet an exciting opportunity for me to evolve,
Though the answer’s unclear, in time I will solve.

And with it, a new phase I’ll begin,
That same purpose, with a different spin.

A new career that I did not foresee,
A better fit for the evolving me.

So let me end on this final note,
Pay close attention to all that I wrote.

Know who you are, your gifts and abilities,
And your career will unfold…Imagine the possibilities!

2nd Place
An Open Book
By Melanie Jackson

A dream of possibilities
When you take another look
A new career to begin again
Turn a new page in an open book.

Imagining another life
To teach, to learn, to read
A librarian’s role is mine to take
See a new page in an open book.

A dream becomes reality
It’s back to school once more
A Master’s degree in Librarianship!
Write a new page in an open book.

Imagining a brand new career
After half a life of years
To know you make a difference
Read the new words in an open book.

It’s never too late to dream again
To give back more than you took
To reach a new goal, a career, a life
Turn a new page in an open book.

3rd Place
Career Counseling
By Lola L. Lucas

i.
“Of course you’re scared. Nobody
really likes change, except a wet baby.”

ii.
“You can’t cross a chasm in two steps,”
I say to my clients. I draw them
As stick figures poised on Cliff A wanting
So badly to get to Cliff B, except
They see a long drop to rocks, rapids,
Maybe even crocodiles below.

“But what if people on the other side
are willing to help you?”
I add arcs of ink, a rope bridge
Now makes it safe to cross over.
I scribble out the old self, put in
A figure, stick arms raised in triumph,
With new friends on Cliff B.
“You gotta know somebody’? Yes!
That’s it exactly!”

iii.
I’ve never claimed to be a guru dispensing
The Meaning of Life---no, I’m a midwife
Helping people deliver more meaning
To their own lives. We are born into our bodies,
But we birth and rebirth our selves.

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