COEUR d’ALENE — A surprise was waiting for Aubrey Ahrens as she and her parents pulled up to Fernan STEM Academy on Thursday night. 

Before she entered the school for a hands-on career fair, the fourth grader got to put herself in the hotseat of a small bulldozer to see what it was like. 

Aubrey got to hold the controls and get a new vantage point for how heavy machinery looked from the driver’s seat.  

Most of all, she was proud that she was able to use her size to her advantage. 

“It’s really easy to get into,” Aubrey said. “A lot of people think I’m in fifth, but I’m in fourth grade.” 

The dozer was owned by Bryan Kelly, who is the Lakes City High School principal. He also runs Triple B Dirt Works during summers.  

He said he was excited to be able to share the experience with kids at Fernan. 

“There’re careers out there where you can use these and build things. The final product is very satisfying,” Kelly said. 

About 260 visitors stopped by the interactive career night, which held educational stations for everything from electricians to groundwater contamination. 

One of the most popular rooms, however, held critters for kids and parents to meet. 

An iguana, a tortoise, a large toad and several snakes were visiting from Bugs N Snakes, and a few kids were brave enough to get up close and personal. 

Axton Glaspie held Zhora, the Burmese python, as she wove around him, investigating this new person in her space.

“It was weird, it tightened around my neck,” Axton said. 

“This is the small Burmese python. The big one is shedding,” Blake Nelson said to interested families as they watched Zhora and the other snakes. 

In a different room, North Idaho College nursing student Brianna Ber taught students about their heart rates, having them count out their heartbeats and then jump rope for a few minutes to demonstrate how the heart rate changes. 

Fernan STEM Academy Principal Kathy Livingston said the main purpose of the event is to fire up students about possible opportunities after school.  

“We are trying to give them an idea of some of the STEM careers because sometimes it’s hard to imagine them just out of books,” Livingston said.   

    Axton Glaspie holds Zhora the python from Bugs N Snakes around his neck as Blake Nelson explains that their bigger python wasn't able to come to the STEM career night at Fernan STEM Academy.
  

Aubrey Ahrens tried out the operating seat of a Bryan Kelly's small bulldozer Thursday night at Fernan STEM Academy's career night. Kelly is the principal at Lake City High School, but does landscaping as Triple B Dirt Works during the summer.

    Hailey and Finn Morris and Stacey Erickson learn about how to safely remove a tick at the career night at Fernan STEM Academy.