SVCTE and Internships: All a Student Could Ask For
Students are making their dreams come true, by taking part in the internships offered by SVCTE.
By Sophia Aranda
Students are making their dreams come true, by taking part in the internships offered by SVCTE.
By Sophia Aranda
Every February, students make the important decision of which classes they will take the following school year. Although there are a variety of classes offered on campus, Silicon Valley Career Technical Education provides an alternative program for those looking to get a head start on their future career. These classes are provided off-campus but students are able to fulfill A-G graduation requirements and gain real hands-on experiences that help students further their knowledge in their preferred field.
Academic counselor Chad Luna, advocates for students looking to sign up for the SVCTE program.
“I think it's a good opportunity because you get that hands-on experience. The professors are people that have taught, and work in that field. You're gonna be working with a lot of students, like hands-on experience and doing teamwork,” said Luna.
Along with getting experience within the classroom, students in certain programs get the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the classroom into the real world and possibly get an internship in the field. Junior Mia Mann is enrolled in the Dental Assisting course and recently landed an internship in a dental office to continue her learning.
“I’m currently taking the Dental Assisting course and I was interested in the course because someone in my family is in the dental field and it has always peaked my interest. I wanted to take the course to see if I would personally enjoy it and to get experience in the field,” said Mann. “During the internship students will be at the office learning from the team during their school hours. This gives them the opportunity to really grasp the ropes and how to assist during a dental procedure.”
These internship opportunities along with others that are being offered by SVCTE are great precursors for students that are interested in going to college or into vocational fields. Destination College Advising Corps counselor Gabriela Gonzalez-Gomez said SVCTE programs can be beneficial when potentially applying to college down the road. “It really benefits people who know what they're going to go into already and can write about that on their college applications. For example, on the UC application, there is a question about what educational opportunities students have taken to further their interest in the majors that they are interested in, so I always have people who write about SVCTE in that area,” said Gonzalez-Gomez.
Mann started her internship on Feb. 6, and will earn certifications on various parts of dental assisting that will help her later on if she chooses to pursue a career in the dental field.
“The benefit to taking a SVCTE class is the hands-on learning opportunities that it offers. My particular class allows students to earn an infection control certificate, radiation safety certificate and a dental assisting certificate,” said Mann.
Although SVCTE is a beneficial program for students, their program has limited availability, meaning that it can be difficult to be admitted. Academic counselor Nicole Pearson, notices multiple struggles that students could possibly face while applying.
“Their admissions process works like a lottery system so you put your name in the hat. If you get chosen you get to go, if not, try again next year. But a lot of the careers that SVCTE offers are ones you can explore at the community colleges so if you don't get into SVCTE, know that our local community colleges also offer a lot,” said Pearson.
Although getting accepted into the program may be a challenge, students see it as a rewarding opportunity. When students take a program such as this, they are setting up a foreseeable successful career in their desired field.
“I think SVCTE is a great program for students who want to explore a subject area that is of interest to them, that we don't offer here at Pioneer. For students who do well working with their hands or want to just have their day be broken up a little bit by something other than A-G academics here, I think it's a really good opportunity to explore something different so that they can be prepared to make decisions in college or community college or even jumping right into the workforce,” said Pearson.
Academic counselor Chad Luna, advocates for students looking to sign up for the SVCTE program.
“I think it's a good opportunity because you get that hands-on experience. The professors are people that have taught, and work in that field. You're gonna be working with a lot of students, like hands-on experience and doing teamwork,” said Luna.
Along with getting experience within the classroom, students in certain programs get the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the classroom into the real world and possibly get an internship in the field. Junior Mia Mann is enrolled in the Dental Assisting course and recently landed an internship in a dental office to continue her learning.
“I’m currently taking the Dental Assisting course and I was interested in the course because someone in my family is in the dental field and it has always peaked my interest. I wanted to take the course to see if I would personally enjoy it and to get experience in the field,” said Mann. “During the internship students will be at the office learning from the team during their school hours. This gives them the opportunity to really grasp the ropes and how to assist during a dental procedure.”
These internship opportunities along with others that are being offered by SVCTE are great precursors for students that are interested in going to college or into vocational fields. Destination College Advising Corps counselor Gabriela Gonzalez-Gomez said SVCTE programs can be beneficial when potentially applying to college down the road. “It really benefits people who know what they're going to go into already and can write about that on their college applications. For example, on the UC application, there is a question about what educational opportunities students have taken to further their interest in the majors that they are interested in, so I always have people who write about SVCTE in that area,” said Gonzalez-Gomez.
Mann started her internship on Feb. 6, and will earn certifications on various parts of dental assisting that will help her later on if she chooses to pursue a career in the dental field.
“The benefit to taking a SVCTE class is the hands-on learning opportunities that it offers. My particular class allows students to earn an infection control certificate, radiation safety certificate and a dental assisting certificate,” said Mann.
Although SVCTE is a beneficial program for students, their program has limited availability, meaning that it can be difficult to be admitted. Academic counselor Nicole Pearson, notices multiple struggles that students could possibly face while applying.
“Their admissions process works like a lottery system so you put your name in the hat. If you get chosen you get to go, if not, try again next year. But a lot of the careers that SVCTE offers are ones you can explore at the community colleges so if you don't get into SVCTE, know that our local community colleges also offer a lot,” said Pearson.
Although getting accepted into the program may be a challenge, students see it as a rewarding opportunity. When students take a program such as this, they are setting up a foreseeable successful career in their desired field.
“I think SVCTE is a great program for students who want to explore a subject area that is of interest to them, that we don't offer here at Pioneer. For students who do well working with their hands or want to just have their day be broken up a little bit by something other than A-G academics here, I think it's a really good opportunity to explore something different so that they can be prepared to make decisions in college or community college or even jumping right into the workforce,” said Pearson.