CRESWELL – Students at Creswell High School (CHS) have the opportunity to explore career technical education (CTE) in grades 9 through 12. During a tour organized by Lane Education Service District, folks from the community and other schools had the chance to explore all eight CTE programs that CHS offers.
The tour was led by students who take the career-oriented classes, and let guests explore the hands-on work these kids do in school. Before the tour kicked off, a 2019 CHS alumnus, Bentley Watson, shared how her experience in some of the classes led to her career pathway.
She explained how her experience taking health occupation classes helped her explore career pathways that she might be interested in. She said learning medical terminology early on helped her build a solid foundation in anatomy, pharmacology, and physiology, and it also earned her college credit, so she did not have to pay for it.
“Taking anatomy and physiology in high school was a huge building block to go into college,” Watson said. She also said taking a pharmacology class “was incredibly helpful to understand the Latin that goes into all of the medical terminology, the medication, all of the things. So those were huge, helping hands.”
Watson currently works as an accredited registered therapist.
“I really learned a lot from the CTE, specifically the health occupations. It helped me a lot going forward, and I’m very grateful to have what I had in high school,” she said.
Students were stationed in classrooms to demonstrate and share the skills they learned and how they might use them later in their lives. Students in health occupations classes showed how to use an EpiPen and wrap an arm sling; additive manufacturing students showcased 3D printers and how to use them; metals and welding students taught folks the differences between welding metals; and a construction and architecture program had students demonstrate carpentry skills and tool safety.
“I’m going into digital engineering when I’m older. I’m going to Oregon State University,” said one senior in the additive manufacturing program. “I’m going to start an internship soon. All of the designs that you see right here are my personal designs that I’ve made,” he said, pointing out how he was able to use school resources to help him kickstart his after-school plans.
CHS also offers an agriculture program in a greenhouse where students demonstrate plant propagation methods, a business management, administration, and marketing program where students learn business, entrepreneurship, and financing skills by selling merchandise like shirts, and a graphic design, arts, and media program.
Marketing and design students in the CTE programs had a recent work-based learning opportunity outside of high school with Mandy Hoggard, CTE teacher, during a city council meeting, which was reported on last week by Erin Tierney-Heggenstaller in “Students sell Creswell on new logo concept.”
The students in the programs would conduct research to gauge how the community feels about Creswell City’s logo and potentially help with a redesign.
