Youngsters Experience a World of Job Opportunities : Education: In program usually reserved for older students, elementary school gets firsthand accounts of varied careers.

SANTA ANA —  Dwarfed by the yellow jacket that drooped off his shoulders and onto the floor, Matthew Carter, 6, grinned at more than 100 admiring schoolmates as he modeled his firefighter’s equipment. With the help of Santa Ana Fire Inspector Larry Garcia, 31, Matthew strapped on a heavy air tank Wednesday and got a close-up look at his career of choice.

“It was kind of fun,” the aspiring firefighter said after the experience.

Matthew got a glimpse of his potential future career at Diamond Elementary School during a series of career-related events usually reserved for older students. Since Monday, the school’s 1,100 children have been getting firsthand accounts about a variety of careers.

The aim of the program is to expose students to a range of jobs which many might not have otherwise known existed.

“As teachers, it’s our job to keep their expectations high,” said Assistant Principal Jean Hanna. The speakers so far have included a banker, a nurse, an airline pilot, a newspaper columnist and a cartoonist.

“You can do anything you want to do,” Garcia told one group of students. “You can be a teacher, a lawyer, a doctor--anything. I wanted to be an astronaut, a cowboy and a doctor when I was your age.” He also encouraged pupils to stay in school because, “the more you go to school, the better job you get.”

Later, Garcia praised the career week program for the young students, noting that he chose his own career path in fifth grade after a fireman came to speak to his class.

“I think it’s important for them to see all the choices they have as (early) as possible,” he said. “They’re never too young to be thinking about what they want to do.”

The program also won rave reviews from the students.

Although each child will hear from nine speakers of his or her choice during the week, many students said the program should be expanded to include an even wider array of occupations.

Nick Rodriguez, 12, said other schools should also start similar programs for their youngest students.

He said he had not considered what kind of career he would like until his school’s program started Monday. “That gave me a lot of ideas,” he said, adding that he now wants to be a disc jockey.

Other speakers Wednesday included Rudy M. Castruita, superintendent of the Santa Ana Unified School District, and city animal control officer Tom Gonzales.

During his speech, Gonzales, 26, delighted a kindergarten and first-grade crowd with a gregarious raccoon named Rocky and a kitten named Bullwinkle, as well as an opossum. After describing his occupation and offering tips about dealing with unfriendly animals, he allowed the wide-eyed children to hold and pet the furry creatures he brought along.

Students weren’t the only ones to say they’re enjoying the week’s speakers.

Librarian Judy Sowers said she couldn’t wait for her next guest.

“I’ve got a good one this afternoon,” she said. “A bodybuilder.”