On Thursday, February 9 the focus for 300+ sophomore students at Norfolk High School was college and career readiness. Students spent 3 ½ hours rotating through multiple activities that morning, designed to help them begin focusing their efforts on their goals for the future. Some rotations that the students visited included:
-
Mock Interviews - in coordination with the Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce, 47 tables of local business and industry leaders volunteered their time to conduct mock interviews with individual students. At the conclusion of the interview they provided valuable feedback to the student regarding their performance. This might have included encouragement regarding soft skills such as making eye contact, a firm handshake, and speaking clearly.
-
College Presentations - students attended presentations given by colleges and universities regarding college admission standards, participating in college campus visits, and expectations for incoming college students. These presentations were given by University of Nebraska - Omaha, Northeast Community College, University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Wayne State College.
-
Career Interest Assessments - students participated in career assessments as one step in today’s process. These assessments are given to provide insight to students regarding their potential career strengths. Working in cooperation with the NHS Guidance Office, NHS Career Academy, and teachers in their areas of strength, the student can take this information and explore their career opportunities for their future.
-
Senior Panel - in an informal setting the sophomores heard from NHS seniors that are preparing for graduation in a few short months. Senior students shared with the underclassmen the opportunities that are available to them over the next few years and how important that discovery process was in helping them make plans for their future after NHS. The informal setting was an environment that encouraged dialogue and information sharing.
This day, along with other career and college readiness activities offered year round at NHS, are part of the efforts supported by the College Access Grant that Norfolk High School has been awarded. This grant is given by Educationquest and is intended to support public schools in their development of career and college ready graduates.
“Today is another example of the outstanding support the Norfolk community has for Norfolk Public Schools. Students gained real life interviewing experience today with real businessmen and women in our community. There is nothing better than that. Few things are more gratifying than hearing from community members how impressive our NHS students are. Our students, parents, staff, and community all play key roles in our student success. We should all take pride in providing such outstanding learning opportunities for our kids!” - Jake Luhr, Principal - Norfolk High School.
Thank you to all the business, industry, and higher education individuals that supported this day of career exploration. Your “real world” perspective is so very valuable to the success of our students. We appreciate your investment in these young adults.
