Area 8th graders spent the day on the Panola College campus recently to explore academic and career options.
April 5, 2019 - Eighth grade students from 11 area public schools visited Panola College recently to explore options for academic and career education opportunities.
“Even as students begin high school, they can make decisions that benefit their life after graduation,” said Angie Musgrove, Panola College Dual Credit Director. “Each student is on a unique path, whether preparing for a career choice, examining college credit opportunities, or examining the necessary skills for a technical trade.”
As these students enter public high school, they choose endorsements set up by The Texas Education Agency to help students stay on track for academics and careers. Endorsements group courses together by specific interests. The five endorsements include STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), business and industry, public services, arts and humanities, and multi-disciplinary studies.
Panola College offered the area schools a chance to take a look at these options more closely. The 872 students participating in the fall and spring sessions at Panola visited science labs, welding and petroleum labs, and cosmetology. They also had sessions in academic areas, such as the arts and humanities.
During lunch, they explored different career pathways with the help of Texas Career Check, an online program offered by the Texas Workforce Commission. They completed an interest inventory and compared salaries and trends. The career check also identifies required training and degree requirements for each occupation.
High school counselors accompanied their students and were enthusiastic about the event. “The response from our students was very positive, and I feel this event had a great influence on what many of them will do in the future,” said Angie Bishop, counselor at Carthage Junior High School. “The Panola College students talking about what they had planned for their futures really helped our students to get a little perspective on what their future could be. Hopefully, Panola College will be able to continue this event because it has been a great asset.”
Daniel Hall, Petroleum Technology instructor, demonstrates a welding simulator in the lab.
The Waskom counselor agreed. “The 8th Grade Preview Day was wonderfully organized and executed by the faculty and staff. Our students loved the hands-on aspect of the tour, as well as lunch on campus. It was a fantastic event that provided a plethora of information about the many programs offered by Panola College. Waskom ISD will certainly be attending this event in the future,” said Melinda Bowden, middle and elementary school counselor.
Schools participating in the fall included Jefferson, Tatum, Woden, Waskom, Timpson and Harleton. In the spring session, Joaquin, Beckville, Carthage, Garrison and the Panola Early College High School brought students to campus.
Musgrove compiled results from the student survey, which revealed that the 8th Grade Preview Day helped students with decision-making. According to the survey results, before the visit, only 46.2 percent had a career plan. Almost 100 percent of those surveyed said the event helped them identify areas of interest, learn how to look for occupational salaries and trends, and helped them more clearly understand their options.
“We also charted responses from male and female students,” Musgrove added. “One of our objectives was to let students know that men and women can choose any occupation in the career and technical fields. Of the total students surveyed, the highest level of interest was in our health science programs, followed closely by business and welding.”
Cheri Lambert, Occupational Therapy Assistant chair, led students in a simulation of a therapy session.
She said in the career and technical fields, welding and business were the top favorites for male students, while the female students participating in the survey chose health science and cosmetology as their top picks.
“The preview day has proven to be a great way to introduce students to career options they may never have considered. The students really seemed enthusiastic about participating. They can now more carefully select the right endorsement based on their areas of interest. The next step is for them to sit down with their school counselors and make a plan before they enter high school,” Musgrove said.
