Scheduling can be an overwhelming process for students of any age, and even more so for incoming freshman.
To make this task a little easier, Cabell Midland put on a career expo this year for incoming students, showcasing different academies and courses.
“It’s important to have because a lot of kids do not know,” said Academy Coordinator Dale Martin. “Our counselors go to the middle schools to schedule them for their freshman year and a lot of them have to schedule in a limited amount of time. They aren’t really sure what the academies are about, what courses are available or what kinds of things those academies do.”
Different academies in the expo provided more than just a brochure of information, and many tried to make sure incoming students were able to truly get a feel for what they were based upon.
“The fine arts put on a performance, and the makeup and costume class applied different techniques on students,” said Martin. “We had the visual arts doing wheel throwing. They allowed kids to do prep making and figure drawing. The graphic arts department made and sold t-shirts. Journalism had the news set up along with the camera and microphone.”
The art academies were not the only ones who provided hands-on activities and each group attempted to bring more visual aid to their academy presentation.
“We had the pro-start students with taste testing and they also showed kids how to flip an egg,” said Martin. “Project Lead the Way had robots available. The Health and Science Academy did blood pressure, the FFA or the Agriculture Science had their animals and plant studies, and ROTC had their flight simulator.”
Academies are more than just a collection of courses; they are a way for students to connect with others with similar interests and figure out what they want to do once high school is over.
“I think academies help students figure out what they want to do in school and what area they want to focus on after it ends,” said senior Cassidy Miles.
In terms of attendance, the expo has been deemed a success, with a large turnout of students and parents alike.
“There were a load of people who attended,” said Martin. “I am not sure the exact amount, but I would say anywhere between a couple hundred people. Some of those were our staff and students, but a lot were parents and eighth graders coming to the expo.”
The expo is a recent addition to the preparation process for incoming freshman, and many are excited to continue the trend.
“This is the first year of the expo,” said Martin. “I actually just returned from a conference with the career academy correlation in Washington, D.C. They talked about career expos there and types of things that you can accomplish through an expo involving your businesses.”