June, 2022
Career Pathways Newsletter
June 2022
It's back! The annual Employer Engagement Breakfast is back in person and we are so excited to host the best event of the year for our industry partners. This year, the event will be on August 17 from 8:00 to 10:00 AM at Jimmy's Event Center. The annual event is free to attend and Bear Pride Sponsorships are accepted by all industry partners. During the event you will get to connect, network, learn about all the great things that happened this last school year, and get involved for next school year. Leave feeling inspired and geared up to continue to work together to shape the future. To register, click HERE.
Construction Career Pathway Students Visit New High School
On May 26, Fred Feirn's Architectural Design class visited the new WBLAHS High School with Maria Kennedy from Wold Architects. Students toured the facility and connected their classroom lessons to what is happening in real life. A variety of skilled trades were also explored including welding, pipefitting, electric, masonry, plumbing, and finishing trades.
WBLAHS Senior, Aliyah Hamlin joined along as she plans to pursue Architecture next year at Louisiana State University. As a Construction Career Pathway student, Aliyah was able to benefit from additional career exposure opportunities through WBL Career Pathways. Students will start using the new spaces as early as next school year. The 9-12 unified high school will open its doors in the Fall of 2024.
St. Catherine's University Visits Healthcare Career Pathway Courses
On May 4, Dr. Jessica Miehe brought a wide variety of St. Catherine's University Health Science students to talk about their careers in the industry. Careers in Nursing, Radiology, Occupational Therapy, Public Health, Nurse Practitioner, Respiratory Care, Cardiac Sonography, and Pediatrics were represented. The group visited the Health & Wellness Career Pathway classes taught by Shannon Riebow, Dustin Holman, and Erica Largent.
The St. Catherine's University program is directly tied to Bear Care at WBLAHS - North Campus which is an on-site clinic that provides no-cost healthcare services to any WBLAS student. Services include sports physicals, wellness exams, immunizations, and illness treatment. To schedule an apt, call 651-653-2923 or click HERE.
IT Career Pathway Students Show Off Their Work
On May 23, IT Career Pathway students showed off their Raspberry Pi projects. The Raspberry Pi is a small computer that can do a lot of things! Students created video games, shared what they learned about coding, and talked about their programming strategies with WBLAHS Staff. The event was hosted by Halat Basheer who taught IT Explorations and Programming Fundamentals at WBLAHS this school year.
Automotive Career Pathway Students Participate in Twin Cities Auto Show
Thanks to the MN DLI's Youth Skills Training Grant for the Automotive Career Pathway, students are getting more automotive and transportation career exposure than ever before. On May 20, WBLAHS students spent the day at the Twin Cities Auto Show. Students got to learn about new features in the vehicles of tomorrow, electric driving systems, visit the transportation career fair, and even test drive some of the coolest and newest vehicles! A big thank you goes out to Maplewood Toyota for donating the tickets and to Automotive Career Pathway Instructor Derek Doescher for being committed to shaping the future workforce.
Student Spotlight
WBLAHS Senior and Anchor Mentor, Jordyn Meyer was paired with a Central Middle School 7th grader during the 2021-22 school year through the Anchor Mentor Program which connects high school students to middle school students to offer a variety of support. Both students have a passion for ice skating and met throughout the year at the rink to practice. Jordyn shared a story about how both she and her mentee participated in the WBL Sports Center Annual Ice Show. "It was really meaningful to cheer her on as she shined so brightly on the ice," shared Jordyn. "I loved being a part of the Anchor Mentor Program! I'm so grateful that I have been able to make a difference in people's lives. I truly love being a part of a program that wants to help everyone and strives to make a positive impact."
Next year, Jordyn will be attending Creighton University and was recruited to play Division 1 Softball. She is planning to pursue a career in Physical Therapy and received early assurance into the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. We are so proud of you Jordyn. Good Bears!
Thank You to:
- AutoNation Ford for donating a car to the Automotive Career Pathway.
- Maplewood Toyota for donating tickets to the Twin Cities Auto Show.
- Michael McGarthwaite and Julie Anderson for hosting another successful Scholarship Awards Night. This year over $100,000 worth of local scholarships were granted to our graduating seniors.
- Thank you to the following employers who will be hosting summer interns this summer: Buerkle Hyundai, Fairway Collision & Automotive, Manley Gardening LLC, MME Group Inc., MN Trades Academy, Newtrax, Parsons Electric, Renstrom Dental Studio, State Farm Insurance, Teamvantage Molding LLC, TGK Automotive Specialists of Hugo, Vinco, Inc., WBLAS Community Education, WBLAS Technology Department, Walser Polar Chevrolet, Wilbert Plastic Services, and World Around Us Childcare. We look forward to sharing all the great stories throughout the summer season.
Congratulations to:
- the 32 WBLAHS students who earned a World Language Proficiency Certificate or a Bilingual Gold Seal through MN Department of Education's Bilingual Seal Program!
- To all of our 2022 Graduates who have persevered through the last 3 school years of the pandemic. We are proud of your resilience and perseverance. Go Bears!