Around 750 junior high age students were expected at the St. Croix Career and Technical Education Center’s 18th annual career fair Thursday to learn about various high school programs and talk to businesses and organizations about future employment.
“We hope they see careers of interest and when they get into high school they can select a career tech program so they will be college and career ready,” Elizabeth Beck, business education department chairwoman, said.
The current CTEC students displayed the results of their work and talked to 7th to 10th graders from the island’s public and private schools about auto body, agriculture, upholstery, masonry, marketing, accounting and computer programs at the school.
The automotive program displayed engines they had assembled and the electric car just completed after two years of
work. They also showed an electric car under construction with a metal shell coated in primer paint and the first parts of an engine under the hood.
Upstairs, marketing students talked about their program and working with businesses in the community, while accounting students and teachers talked about careers in finance.
Jamihl Levine, 10th grade, and Alyssa Grouby, 12th grade, showed off their computer repair, desktop publishing and web design skills under the Cisco program. Both plan to go to college and use their computer knowledge in the future and earn a degree. Levine said he has been interested in computers for a long time and plans to earn a degree in information technology and networking.
“I took the course to be able to fix my computer,” Grouby said. She plans to study graphic design and animation and come back to St. Croix to start an Internet café and graphic design company.
Kisura Smith was another 12th grader demonstrating her skills for CTEC. She pointed out the stitches and fabrics and explained the equipment she learned about in the two-year sewing program. She likes the classes so much she plans to go to college and get a minor degree in some aspect of clothing design or sewing. She already has a side business selling tie-dye baby and adult clothes.
Students in the nursing program demonstrated what they learned in health career classes. Next year, the program will include classes in blood pressure, wound care, obesity and offer a certification in EKG.
According to Cenita Heywood, teacher and event organizer, 32 businesses and organizations were invited to participate in the career fair and open house. She said the goal is to catch students who will attend high school next year and hope they will “select CTEC to attend next year.”
The V.I. Police Department talked to participants about joining the crime prevention and cadet programs. Sgt. Isaac Porter said two students had expressed interest before noon. To enter the programs, students need 12-year degrees and a clean criminal record.
“We just want to spread the word as much as possible to 11th and 12th graders. To those who want to contribute back to the island, it’s a good place to start,” Porter said.
Representatives from Barry University also were actively looking for future students for their physician’s assistant program on St. Croix. Already, three residents have graduated and five are currently enrolled. Michael Funk, Barry University assistant professor, said some of the off-island students take the program and remain on St. Croix to work.
“They fall in love with it and they stay,” he said.
Some of the organizations that handed out educational literature were the American Red Cross, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Innovative Companies, the University of the Virgin Islands, V.I. Tourism and the V.I. Army National Guard.
The St. Croix Elections System was on hand to register voters and the V.I. Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Council demonstrated basic infant care using dolls.
After school and mentoring programs were represented during the event by Each One Teach One, St. Croix Martial Arts and the VIPD Grove Place Weed and Seed.
“Each year hundreds of students from public, private and parochial junior and senior high schools attend this fair. They have an opportunity to view displays, observe demonstrations and discuss career paths with the instructors from educational programs and representatives from our community businesses, industries, post-secondary institutions and agencies that participate in this event,” CTEC Principal Myrl Hendricks said.
