Technical Education (continued from page 30) practice making decisions in stressful situations through scenarios and role playing. During the second year of the program, students are placed in internships with organizations including the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office, the Michigan State Police, Michigan’s Departments of Natural Resources and Corrections, the Vicksburg Police Department, and the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. Student Danny Alvarez, 18, says he enjoys the challenging curriculum, especially the physical training, and that the life skills he’s learning are not available in academic classes. Alvarez plans to go to KVCC and then to Grand Valley State or WMU for a degree in criminal justice and then attend the Police Academy at KVCC. Leah Savage, 17, says, “This class has helped me with my other classes because it teaches me to be independent, and it’s moving me toward the real world. We’ve grown. We represent this school and this class.” Savage plans to attend North Park University in Chicago and, after graduation, join the ROTC National Guard and attend the KVCC Police Academy.
Cooperative work programs and internships While college-prep courses provide a strong background in the liberal arts and sciences, they do not always tap students’ passions or teach career skills. That’s how CTE students have an advantage. They learn the principles and practices of a trade before they invest time and money into certification or post-secondary education. Vicksburg High senior Zack Glascock, 18, is currently on a co-op assignment with Humphrey Products, working from 6-9 a.m. every day learning what machinists and engineers do. He wanted to be an architect, but through EFE he discovered engineering. He plans to go to WMU, where his tuition will be paid by Humphrey Products.
“My goal is to design parts that help people in everyday life,” Glascock says. “I want to build parts that no one else has designed for someone’s home or for equipment for someone who is disabled.” These EFE programs, internships and cooperative work opportunities often help students learn as much about what they don’t want to do as what they want to do. John Ferraro, 18, a Comstock High School senior, took automotive technology and found that, while he is good at it, he doesn’t want a career in it. He contends, however, that none of what he’s learned is wasted. He knows what to do if his car breaks down and has learned to be a problem solver. “The class makes you have a different perspective,” Ferraro says. “There’s always something else to fix — and to fix it better. It’s a great class to take.”
Motivation to succeed For many students, though, EFE is not only a prelude to a future career, but can provide the impetus for them to complete their high school education. Basse says students who take his automotive classes often acquire a reason to focus more on academics because they see how it applies to the work they want to do. “When they find something they’re good at, they suddenly become good at other things,” he says. “Their grades go up, and they graduate. They come away from high school with skills that give them a path to careers so that they can be more than oil and tire changers.” Counselor Regan Tubbs has seen similar changes in students. “I love working here at Allegan County Area Technical and Education Center,” Tubbs says. “It is an option for students who choose to be here. The programs feature cool hands-on learning, and those who struggle with school can succeed here and make plans for a full life after high school.”
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