Gov. Jim Pillen strolled the halls of The Career Academy at Lincoln Public Schools on Tuesday morning, learning about the benefits of the program from the students themselves.
Two seniors, Isabel Cressler and Sapphire Guzman, both in the welding and precision machining pathways, led Pillen on a tour around the facility connected to Southeast Community College which houses more than 700 students.
The Career Academy is made up of 16 different pathways — ranging from culinary to criminal justice to education — that juniors and seniors at LPS and non-public school students in LPS’ attendance area can follow to earn both high school and college credit.
Pillen, who saw the spaces for welding, precision machining, construction and health sciences, said the program gives students unique opportunities to find their passions and explore different career paths.
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By allowing students to study various careers while still in high school, Pillen said the program is opening doors for students and showing them the many opportunities they have, whether that be pursuing higher education or entering the workforce.
“It’s really, really important that we make sure we can lift kids up,†he said.
He also noted that a program such as this could help attract students to industries in need of more employees, like education, nursing and mental health services.
“Our futures are about our kids. We can never give up on kids,†he said. “And career pathways are so important.â€
The Career Academy runs in conjunction with SCC, but Director Josh Jones said it’s actually a triad, not just a partnership. People from within the business community play a big role in the program’s success, too.
LPS provides the students and some of the staff, SCC is able to provide instructors skilled in their specific trades and people from within the business community give students opportunities for real-life experiences through field trips, internships and apprenticeships.
“It’s really just all incredible,†Jones said.
Cressler and Guzman can both attest to how The Career Academy has helped them prepare for their future careers.
Guzman plans to continue following the welding track at SCC after high school and also study automotive technologies. Being able to attend The Career Academy full time this school year has helped her get ready for that next step.
“It’s given me a start that four years ago I wouldn’t have thought possible,†she said.
For Cressler, her time in the program has prepared her for her future career in a different way. She plans to attend Hope College in Michigan next fall to study government and politics.
With her experience in welding and machining at The Career Academy, she now has a broader perspective on the importance of union and worker advocacy, which she plans to focus on in her studies, she said.
“I understand that welders and machinists and everyone in between are incredibly hard workers, and they deserve to be compensated for that,†she said. “So it really kind of put the narrative in my mind of where I want to go when I get this degree.â€
Because of her passion for politics, it was something of a dream come true for Cressler to meet Pillen and be able to show him around her school. Even after the tour was over, she was still ecstatic about the opportunity.
“Being someone who’s already interested in politics, having the opportunity to meet the governor and show them something I’m really passionate about was really special,†she said.
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