It was the third annual Plan My Future event, open to middle and high school students. The career expo attracted over 1,600 students from Las Cruces Public Schools, Hatch Valley Middle and High School, Las Montañas Charter High School, and New America School.
Students explored a variety of career opportunities in the west parking lot at the Field of Dreams on Thursday, February 27. Plan My Future is organized by the LCPS Career and Technical Education (CTE) team to engage middle and high school students interested in exploring career paths beyond high school.
“Being able to go out into the community, have an out-of-classroom field experience, engage in hands-on learning, and talk to people about their post-graduation plans (whether they know what they want to do or not) is invaluable in so many ways. Additionally, offering them ideas and guidance makes the experience even more impactful," said Sharon Johnson, Educational Assistant at Rio Grande Preparatory Institute.
The success of Plan My Future, according to organizer Kathleen Gardner, a career readiness and work-based learning teacher with LCPS, depends on the collaboration of businesses and organizations that dedicate their time to interacting with students and teaching them about post-secondary career paths.
“I’m interested in radiology; I’ve just always wanted to pursue it,” said Valeria Martinez, an 11th grader at Centennial High School. “I think it’s cool within the medical field, and there are different types of radiology, like sonography and X-rays. It’s really cool that Plan My Future can help you find what you want to do in the future,” Valeria added.
Plan My Future opens a world of career options to students within their own community, including careers in building trades, construction, media, cosmetology, and Doña Ana County Fire and Emergency Services. Local law enforcement agencies and other vocational industries also participated, offering live demonstrations in electrical work, heavy equipment, and other hands-on, career-related opportunities. New Mexico State University, DACC, military branches, and other post-secondary organizations were also involved.
Scan or click the QR Code below for video coverage of the Plan My Future event:
