DELPHOS — Ninety-three freshmen were put in the hot seat during
Jefferson High School’s Career Pathways Showcase and Signing program
Friday. More than 70 principals, business and community leaders and post
secondary leaders held mock interviews for the students.
The
freshmen have been working on the lifestyle they’d like to have, what
they want to be when they grow up, and if that chosen path can get them
what they want. Financial literacy, career research, personal branding
and resume building are just a few of tasks the class has completed so a
far.
“We really start with self. Who am I, what do I want and how
am I going to get it. It’s ‘know thyself’. The key component to success
is that you have to know yourself,” Lisa Imel said during Friday’s
program. “They are making a 10-year career and life plan. The teachers
help guide them throughout this process and they use an online program
and they form life goals and evaluate if the careers they are interested
in will get them there.”
The students’ presenations on their chosen career path were on display during the interviews.
The
Wildcat Career Pathways Initiative (students) and Wildcat University
(community engagement) events are spearheaded by Imel. The district used
a grant to hire Imel, president of the Cleveland-based EDSolutions
Group, a consulting firm. She is working alongside administrators,
teachers and students to close the gap between real-world experiences
and the needs of the students and community.
The Career Pathways
program started when the current freshmen were in eighth grade and this
semester, a number of seniors will be invited to participate as well.
“This
is a five-year initiative that allows freshmen to create a 10-year
career plan,” Imel said. “There were some senior parents who expressed
their desire for their children to create a 10-year plan so we are
extending that to a number of them for the remainder of the school
year.”
Superintendent Doug Westrick is impressed with the effort.
“It’s
aleady planted the seed for these students. They’ve done the research
and the homework on a career path they’re interested in as a 14- or
15-year-old, and they can continue to further develop that idea and
those thought processes and even if they change their mind, they
understand how to research a career and go about it in the right way.
They’ve already lined up potential universities or where they need to go
to get their skills so they can further that career and move along with
that,” Westrick said.
Lillian Baughn and Levi Rode were the
recipients of $300 scholarships. Imel said a third $300 scholarship will
be presented at the end of the school year.