Career Day at Cerro Coso: Inyo County fifth-grade students begin road to adulthood

Some 197 students from four school districts were introduced to a variety of career options including graphic arts, art, fitness, law enforcement, veterinary science, archaeology, high school counseling, health care and law enforcement.

Students were exposed to several career training opportunities the community college offers, including kinesiology, administration of justice, studio arts, engineering and liberal arts.

The youngsters learned to suture and read x-rays, exercised through a series of stations using fitness equipment, recorded data at a model archaeological site, used a graphic arts program to create sketches, visited a miniature vet hospital, and played games to prepare for the transition to middle school.

Career Day followed a field trip where more than 120 sophomore students from Inyo County high schools visited the Sacramento area on April 10 and 11 to tour Folsom Lake Community College, UEI Technical College and Sacramento State University to explore academic options for their future.

This opportunity was made possible by the Inyo County Office of Education with support from Bishop, Big Pine, Owens Valley, and Lone Pine high schools.

Folsom Lake College staff discussed the variety of course offerings, support programs and extra-curricular opportunities available at the campus, while students learned about several certifications and technical training available in machinery, diesel mechanics, welding, dental assisting, medical assisting, medical coding and HVAC at UEI.

Students also toured the Sacramento State campus where they observed campus housing, The WELL Recreation Center, the University Union and the Hornet Bookstore. They ate lunch with college students and cheered on the Lady Hornets softball team as they battled Northern Colorado at Shea Stadium. A survey indicated that 85% of the students would consider attending Sacramento Sate after engaging in the tour.