The importance of representation was on full display in Syracuse on Friday. For Henninger High School, Black History Month serves as an important opportunity for students to see pathways to success from people who look like them.

“I’ve been at this school for near four years already, and I’ve never had an experience like this," Henninger High School senior Caleb Davis said.

Davis has his eyes set on the future.

“Mainly looking to an entrepreneurship, building my own business," he said.

He hopes to inspire others with his own clothing line.

"I like to just show out, I like to dress up," said Davis. "I was thinking if I could put my own image into my own clothing brand, then maybe I can have others around me in my culture and my type have the same experience I’m feeling when I’m putting on the clothing."

For students like himself, the career fair is a great opportunity. With more than 30 African American professionals presenting, the goal is to show students what it takes to accomplish your dreams.

“Coming to a city school and seeing Black entrepreneurs or people like themselves, it's honestly a good feeling to have our kind, our cultures, combine and come together," Davis said.

For those who identify as Black, that journey is harder than most. According to the Department of Labor, Black Americans have the highest unemployment rate in the country at 5.2%.

“A lot of our professionals came from the same background as them," said Satina Wallace, Henninger High School's Black History Month coordinator.

"They came from the type of environment where it seems like the odds are stacked against them.” “You like to see individuals that look like you, that come from where you do, or experience some of the same things that you experienced, to see that gives them some perspective," said Elton Davis, the deputy chief of fire at the Syracuse Fire Department.

Students also learned from real estate agents, firefighters and medical professionals.

"It’s time for the students to ask them questions as, 'What obstacles did you face when you came into this field? What type of debt do you have? What education did you need? What type of certification did you need?'" Wallace said.

The big takeaway for Davis? Do what you’re passionate about.

“I will take that advice and just practice. Work hard, read, be dedicated at what you want to be and have a passion for it," he said. "Without a passion, you’re not gonna really have a happy emotion with what you’re doing with your life.”