Merced Union High School District

The MUHSD CTE Advisory Meeting was recently held which created an opportunity to bring educators together with industry and community partners. The luncheon was an opportunity to update district partners on the many industry sectors and pathways offered through the MUHSD CTE programs. Students were also able to share their experiences with some of the CTE opportunities available to students.

The meeting brought together many of the 14 industry sectors and 38 pathways offered by the district. There were partners from construction, agriculture, business, hospitality, restaurants and many more fields which are working with MUHSD to achieve one of its missions that every student graduates with a diploma in one hand and a CTE certification/proficiency in the other along with college credit on their transcript.

The CTE Advisory Committee connects schools with industry to ensure programs align with real workforce needs. Members help provide guidance on curriculum. equipment, and work-based learning so students graduate prepared for college, careers and high-demand jobs.

The CTE programs have grown tremendously in the district from 439 CTE sections to 2020-21 school year to 671 CTE sections this year. There are currently 133 CTE teachers and 139 CTE courses in MUHSD. There are also 32 CTE Merced College adjunct staff members teaching in the district. 

Tiffani Gong, the K-12 Pathway Coordinator for the Merced College District and Program Administrator for MUHSD, was able to share new and expanded CTE pathways available. There is now a marketing pathway offered at Sequoia High School and public safety pathways available for students at Atwater and Merced high schools. New pathways offered include Performing arts: dance under Art, Media & Entertainment at El Capitan High School, Personal Services under Fashion & Interior Design at Yosemite High School and System Diagnostics, Service, & Repair, Industrial Maintenance under Transportation at Yosemite.

Gong also shared that there are new pathways coming to MUHSD including: Mechanical Systems Installation & Repair under Building & Construction Trades, System Diagnostics, Services & Repair: Logistics under Transportation and Machining and Forming Technologies under Manufacturing, Product Development.

The highlight of the luncheon for many was being able to hear from Buhach Colony senior Lena Llamas and Atwater senior Adam Harding, who both shared how their experiences helped them. LLamas was able to participate in the “Finding a Cure for Cancer” Summer Institute at the University of the Pacific in Stockton this past summer. Llamas was able to study cancer research hands-on with professors and gained skills in biology and public speaking. This experience solidified her interest in the healthcare field. “I figured out I really do want to go into the healthcare system,” Llamas said. “I love the idea of saving lives, and that's what a lot of these people at this university and just all across the world are doing.”

Llamas said attending the institute was a very educational experience. “In this class, we studied under professors at this university who are studying different cancer cells, such as leukemia cells and lung cancer cells, and basically trying to find a cure for cancer,” Llamas said. “So we worked in labs, hands on with these cells, we explored different biology techniques, and then we also worked on many different skills, which includes public speaking and taking notes, as well as just trying to further our knowledge.”

Harding shared how his Sports & Entertainment Marketing class connected him with a three-week internship with Bryant Orthopedic. “When you look at Bryant Orthopedic, you just see the orthopedic side, but if you look into their marketing, they have a great marketing team. You look at their website, Instagram and things like that. It was a whole other side that I've never seen before and we were able to learn everything that goes into that, the business meetings they have, how they create a name for themselves in the world and what it takes to be as successful as they are. It was really good to learn how they got there.”

Gong said it was valuable for everyone there to hear first-hand experiences from students and how these opportunities can have a positive impact for kids. “Having Adam and Lena speak at our District CTE meeting was incredibly valuable because they helped everyone in the room see what our programs look like through a student lens,” Gong said. “Their voices brought our work to life and reminded everyone – industry, community partners and educators – why these opportunities matter so for students.”

Shawn Jansen is the MUHSD Program Manager Digital Media. He can be reached at Sjansen@muhsd.org.