Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School (Whittier Tech) and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard have joined forces and offered the first-ever student-led career pathway event entitled “Champion Your Future.” This event was inspired by a need to define career pathways for middle school students, guide them through high school technical programs, and support their entry into the workforce.
Inspired by PNSY’s STEM Outreach pop-up at Whittier Tech in 2022, a student team invited seventh graders from the district’s eleven sending schools to get hands-on experiences exploring technical programs at Whittier Tech and connect with professionals from PNSY.
During his opening remarks, Student and career pathway event lead Adrian Angeloni shared how this is the perfect time for middle school students to attend this event. “You may be thinking that it is a little early to be even thinking about a career pathway,” Angeloni said. “Believe it or not – this is exactly the right time to start thinking about what direction you might want to take.”
The impact STEM Outreach has on surrounding schools like Whittier Tech is a driving force for future employment at PNSY. Technical schools offer an introduction to many well respected careers at PNSY such as engineering, welding, electronics, business and marketing, and many more.
Whittier Tech is leading the charge in preparing students for success in technical programs, and this event allowed students the opportunity to get a head start and champion their future.