More than 145 students participated in mock job interviews as part of Vienna High School’s Career Connected, Life Ready programming on Wednesday, March 8th.
Students were matched primarily with business and community leaders with backgrounds in the student’s field of interest, or with representatives from local universities who regularly interviewed students for program admissions and scholarships. .
Life Ready, led by Kathy Anderson and Leslie Bradley of Career Connected, has incorporated opportunities such as mock job interviews into the scope and sequence of PaCE. PaCE (Post-secondary and Career Expectations) is a framework developed by the Illinois Student Services Commission to help students plan for the future.
“PaCE will become a state mandate required for all students in grades 6 through 12 by 2025,” explained VHS Director of Education Anderson. “Vienna is far ahead of many schools in Illinois because this framework has guided his career planning work for students since its inception in 2016.”
Interviewers in the area included: Teale Betts, Shawnee Community College High School Partnerships and Pathway Coordinator. Dr. Lisa Price, Vice President of Student Affairs, SCC. Lou Parker, retired Superintendent of New Simpson Hill; Sari Tuchanan, West her Kentucky community and technical admissions counselor for her college. Brooke May, Educational Pathway Grants Coordinator. Adam Shoemaker, owner of Shoemaker Construction. Dakota McGinnis, a mortgage officer at Regence Bank; Lori Cox, Associate Dean of Workforce and Community Education, Southeastern Illinois College. Adam Locke, U.S. Army National Guard. Erin Lehman, Gholson Financial; Steve Penrod, Mayor of Vienna; Steve Heisner, Vice President of Administration at Dippin’ Dots. Bev Welch, retired Alexander-Pulaski soil and water conservationist. Blake Goforth, SCC Career Services his coordinator. Craig Bradley, SCC Computer and Astronomy Instructor. Terry Waddell, College Development Counselor at Grand Canyon University. Deb Goddard, Five County Vocational System CCPE Coordinator. Deb Bertrand, retired veteran nurse. Rohan Cook, U.S. Army National Guard. Pete Sopchik, Johnson County Sheriff. JAG Coordinator Amy Johnson.
“I would like to thank the people who have served as interviewers,” Anderson said.
For more information on the Career Connected, Life Ready program, visit viennahs.com/cc.
