BY CHRISTOPHER MORANT
For the Record Gazette
On the evening of Oct. 26, representatives for colleges, trade schools and more gathered in the gym of Beaumont High for the school’s College and Career Fair.
The event, according to the school, served as an opportunity for students to connect with representatives from local colleges, universities, branches of the military, community businesses and the Beaumont Unified School District Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways program.
Among the attending organizations presenting themselves to students was the United College Action Network (U-CAN), which director of operations Angelice Ferrell explained is “a nonprofit corporation dedicated to supporting students who are looking to enroll in historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs.”
Ferrell explained that U-CAN maintains credible and intimate relationships with local school districts as well as universities and colleges, which has been a significant factor in helping students gain scholarships and admissions to HBCUs.
A fact sheet from U-CAN’s booth detailed how, since 1988, U-CAN has “provided services to more than 56,000 students,” with more than 15,000 of them subsequently gaining admission to an HBCU and over 6,000 receiving scholarships.
Another organization in attendance was Starting Line Strength and Disability Center, a nonprofit exercise center for people with Parkinson’s disease that was created with the assistance of Beaumont High students in their third year medical technology pathway.
Starting Line founder Christine Guevara explained that the organization gives Beaumont students the opportunity for hands-on medical experience and allows them to support the over 1,400 individuals in Riverside County with Parkinson’s disease.
“We’re here to try and connect with more neurologists in the community,” Guevara said, explaining how the organization is making the jump to recruiting more professionals in order to better serve more patients.
Beaumont Unified School District Director of College and Career Readiness Michael Breyer expressed how great it was for the high school to be able to bring the community together through this event.
“It’s great to finally have an in-person event like this after the pandemic,” Breyer said, explaining that this fair was a great opportunity “to expose the options that students have to pursue after high school such as community colleges, universities, trade schools, and career paths.”
Another option students have once they’ve completed high school is to explore a branch of the military. There were multiple booths at the College and Career Fair manned by representatives of various military units, and Pfc. Atoigue provided students with information about the Marine corps.
“We’re here to show students what the Marine Corps can do for you, and how you can grow from it,” Atoigue explained, going into detail about the benefits of joining a part of the military out of high school, as well as how “they’ve recently been pushing college” for recruits.
Beaumont Administrative Services Director Kari Mendoza represented the city government, handing out sheets to students with lists of government job descriptions for their perusal in order to “educate students on positions in government.”
Additionally, California Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Jason Montez educated students on the CHP’s Explorers Program, which is designed for young men and women aged 15-20.
“Right now, we’re in critical need of dispatchers,” Montez said, explaining that although the CHP can only hire individuals at 20 years of age, the Explorer Program can be a good opportunity for high school students to develop the skills and knowledge needed to serve the people of their communities.
Among the trade schools at the fair was the Universal Technical Institute, which representative Jose Vasquez said “provides students with programs in the transportation industry, manufacturing sector, and energy sector.” Vasquez detailed UTI’s offerings to students, such as its “16 different programs, 15 campuses, and 35 leading manufacturing partners.”
“The typical students at UTI are visual or kinesthetic learners,” Vasquez explained, “so students taking CTE courses at the high school are good candidates.”
In addition to the colleges, trade schools, and organizations, there were multiple booths at the fair dedicated to Beaumont High’s own CTE courses, such as the video production class led by Ryan Pierce.
“We’re just here to showcase to the community the gear we have and the programs we use,” Pierce said, displaying some of the industry-standard equipment that students can familiarize themselves with in the course.
“This is a two-year class,” Pierce explained, “and while in the first year students are mainly focused on just familiarizing themselves with the basics, second-year students get to do things like the video announcements and overall explore projects with more creative freedom.”
Sports Medicine and EMR instructor Nichole Caderilla presented information to students at the fair about her classes, which “teach a variety of life-saving skills.”
“Sports Medicine and EMR give students hands-on experience,” Caderilla said, explaining how the program helps students learn how to help others. Students can gain experience treating injuries at sports events, which can prepare them to utilize their knowledge in other real world situations.
“You never know when you’ll need to use these skills in real life,” Caderilla admitted.
With a variety of organizations and schools available to gain information from at the fair, BHS student Jayden Alden Parilla says he found the event useful as a senior.
“It’s been great,” he said, “I got to connect with colleges I would have never thought of previously and learn of new possibilities.”
Another student, Hayleigh Bracht, also found the fair useful, saying, “it provided me with information about multiple different career pathways from trades to colleges, helping guide my plans for my high school life. There was a lot of great information provided and I left knowing more about all things college-related.”
“It brightened my future,” Damien Villalon, a senior, commented regarding the impact of the fair.
“It’s great to get families back on campus,” Breyer said as the evening winded down, “and to show families that there’s not just one option for students after high school.”
Correspondent Christopher Morant is a junior at Beaumont High School. He may be reached at chrismorant36@gmail.com.
