Explore Careers, Prepare for College With Career and Technical Education

February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month! Read below to learn from students how CTE courses and Academies are helping them explore and prepare for careers while still in high school. Watch the video below to learn more about Fairfax County Public Schools CTE and Academy programs. 

Michael, a senior at Marshall High School, has always been interested in cybersecurity. After taking an introductory class on the topic, he asked his counselor what he could take next, and they suggested an academy class. He took the Computer Systems Tech A+ class that provided CompTIA A+ certification. “From that point, I was hooked!” he said. 

Michael’s dream job is to become a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and then a professor after retiring. 

“I was so convinced that I was really good at computers and troubleshooting, but as I got into the class, I realized that I was at the bottom of the ladder and there were so many things to learn,” he said. “I have earned more than 23 industry certifications in the 2 years I’ve been in the program.”

In his CTE classes, Michael said he learned “how to learn.” He discovered how to study and learn completely new content and apply it practically. “This skill has helped me to be successful not only in my cybersecurity classes but in all my classes,” he said.

Cara is a senior who is enrolled in Falls Church Academy’s Medical Assistant course. She is a senior at Madison High School and dreams of being a doctor. 

Through her academy course, she’s “not only learned a lot of medical terminology and norms, but from speaking with my teachers, I’ve come to have a clearer picture of what my experience might be in the medical field.”

Cara enjoys the hands-on weekly labs. “My personal favorites were the suturing and intradermal injection labs because I was learning a completely new skill that I will continue to use throughout my medical journey,” she says. 

Angelina, a senior at South Lakes High School, is studying cosmetology at Chantilly Academy. 

"My aunt took cosmetology when she was in high school and she thought I would enjoy it," Angelina said. "She encouraged me to try it and I love it so much!"  

Angelina hopes to be able to work as a hairdresser, and her CTE classes are preparing her for that path. 

"I’ve learned cutting, coloring, and so many skills to help me become a hairdresser," she said. "I also now work at a salon and was able to find that job through my cosmetology program. This class also helps me prepare for the business world by teaching me about consultations with customers and running our own business."

Lillian, a senior at Marshall High School, learned about CTE through her STEM electives. Her dream job is to be an engineer, but she is exploring specific fields. She’s currently taking Robotic Systems at Marshall Academy. 

“Marshall Academy and the engineering program teach me so much about collaboration and how to produce, develop, and test ideas,” she said. “Working with my peers to achieve a goal is rewarding and humbling. I love the encouraging yet relaxed environment that’s conducive to creativity.”

Through her CTE classes, Lillian has learned about other opportunities and experiences. She designed the Marshall Academy sign that is displayed at the academy entrance. She was a paid fellow in Northern Virginia Community College’s Fab Lab’s Fellowship Program. She also taught at a STEM summer camp. 

“I didn’t expect so much enrichment inside and outside of school from one class,” she said.

Ariana is a junior at Madison High School and also attends the Falls Church Academy Medical Assistant class. She doesn’t know what her dream job is yet, but is exploring dentistry, surgery, or cardiology. She’d like to join the Navy.  

Her teacher Mr. Morehouse has taught her about vaccines and sutures, which she enjoys. “He has also been helping me with medical paths that I can do in the Navy since he was a Navy Corpsman,” she says. (Corpsmen assist Navy doctors.) She appreciates how helpful he has been in guiding her while she prepares for her future.

Duncan is a senior at Centreville High School. After learning about carpentry at an electives fair, he enrolled in the carpentry course at Chantilly Academy. Although his career goal is to become an auto mechanic, Duncan appreciates how the carpentry class has taught him "hands-on work and the pursuit of perfection."