Freshman students have struggles both in and out of the classroom; it’s a time of many changes as they transition from childhood to young adulthood. The prevailing questions they begin to ask are: Who am I? What do I want to do with my life? How do I get there? Searching for the answers can be anxiety-producing for these young adults as the quest takes on urgency and importance.
Principal Dr. David Zumwalt of Arkansas City High School in Arkansas City, Kansas feels like his team of educators and counselors has added an effective tool for helping students through this transitional time.
Jeremy Truelove, the Assistant Principal and Dean of Students, along with teachers Carolyn Burroughs and Dave Lund, began using the Career Choices curriculum in a pilot program that ran for half of the 2015-2016 year. “The Career Choices curriculum with its My10YearPlan component matches up really well with the state-mandated Individualized Plan of Study,” according to Truelove.
With the enthusiastic support of Principal Zumwalt, the Arkansas City High School Bulldogs are addressing those requirements head-on! “The curriculum deals in specific realities, and that is critical to not having the students go into a shut-down mode,” he added.
Truelove’s own daughter had considered early on becoming a veterinarian because of her love for animals. The extended research she did while participating in the Career Choices class helped her expand her horizons. She discovered even more ways her love of helping animals could translate to a career, including the area of forensic medicine for animals. She now has another positive career goal in sight as she continues her studies.
Initially, the school board at Arkansas City High School was wary. They asked, “Aren’t freshmen a little too young for this type of thing?” A collective and resounding “No” was the response of Principal Zumwalt and the others proposing the adoption of the Career Choices curriculum. In fact, they noted that it might even be too late. After hearing of the individual successes the program has generated for those 220 students involved in the program this past year, the Career Choices program will be expanded to a full year-long course in 2016-2017!