The graduating Class of 2028 was on campus Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 23-24, at Nacogdoches High School, even though they’re still technically students at McMichael Middle School.
Eighth-graders who in seven more months will be walking the halls at NHS are in the process of making schedule selections for their freshmen year, and that includes getting a close-up of everything the Career & Technical Education Department offers at the high school.
Over the two-day period, eighth-graders were bused to the high school for CTE Showcase, where current NHS students describe the course selection options available, lead students on tours of the extensive CTE offerings and answer questions the soon-to-be high school students have.
“Ultimately we want this to be an opportunity for our eighth-grade students to explore everything we offer at NHS,” said Coy Van Valkenburgh, Director of College & Career Readiness. “And we want to help them make an informed decision as they go in to make their course selections.”
On Tuesday and Wednesday, students visited with high schoolers representing CTE offerings at NHS set up at tables in the Malcolm Rector Center for Advanced Careers & Innovation. Eighth-graders also toured classrooms – led by current NHS students – and work areas in the high school.
“The high school students are telling the story,” said Van Valkenburgh. “Eighth-graders don’t want to hear from the adults. We’re not the ones doing it and so to be able to hear from those students who were in their shoes just a few years ago and can answer those questions honestly and straightforwardly gives them better insight that’s relatable .”
On Tuesday, eighth-grader Edgar Reyes liked what he saw at NHS. “The engineering station, I found that very interesting, and also with the carpentry.”
The final step for eighth-graders preparing for high school comes Thursday evening when parents can see the CTE showcase themselves at the Malcolm Rector Center before beginning the registration process that night.