Ooltewah High School Offers A Variety of College and Career Pathways to Equip Students with ‘Future-Ready’ Skills
September 18, 2024 - Ooltewah High School offers a wide range of college and career pathways available to students through its Future Ready Institutes and Pathways. These pathways are designed to equip students with various skills for success in both higher education and their future careers. These programs emphasize hands-on experience, industry certifications, and leadership opportunities.
At Ooltewah High School, students have the opportunity to explore six distinct career pathways:
- Audio/Visual Production
- Hospitality and Tourism Management
- Coding
- Sport and Human Performance
- Culinary Arts
- Supply Chain Management
Along with the pathways, there are also three Future Ready Institute pathways:
- Supply Chain and Logistics Management
- Architecture & Engineering Design at Harrison Bay Future Ready Center
- Advanced Manufacturing and Construction at Harrison Bay Future Ready Center (Welding Pathway and Structural Systems Pathway)
The Future Ready Institutes provide a structured curriculum that goes beyond traditional classroom learning. Students participate in specialized classes that align with their selected pathways, along with a few general education courses, alongside their peers at the same institution. Students also benefit from unique leadership opportunities, guest speakers, and project-based learning experiences.
At Ooltewah High, Assistant Principal Dr. Cedric Seay and Instructional Coach Jami Pierson are working hard to ensure each student maximizes their time while they are in high school and are intentional about their college and career goals. Pierson emphasizes: “The goal of every teacher here is to have students college and career-ready. Future Ready Pathways plays a large part in this by providing job skills, even if students don’t pursue that specific career after graduation. They will always have those experiences as part of their skill set while pursuing their personal post-secondary goals.”
Dr. Seay, who recently toured Harrison Bay Learning Center, notes the exciting upcoming developments: “Harrison Bay has recently introduced an Aviation pathway, and we’re looking forward to offering this pathway to Ooltewah students in the future.”
Students like Aben Saji, a junior in the Supply Chain and Logistics Management Institute, share enthusiasm for the program and the opportunities it presents: “There are so many roles you can go into after high school based on the skills I am learning, like logistics, truck driving, and sales. It’s a great beginning to any career you would want to get into..” He and his classmates will be earning their Certified Logistics Associate (CLA) certification and have already earned their OSHA 10 certification. His advice for any student on the fence about pursuing this pathway is to, “Definitely do it. Logistics is a part of everyday life, so these classes will absolutely help you in your future."
The Culinary Arts pathway offers students access to an industrial-sized kitchen and the opportunity to serve meals in a student-run café. Michael McReynolds, a senior in the Culinary Arts pathway, appreciates the practical experience: “It’s fun, and I am learning so much beyond just cooking. I enjoy cooking here since I can’t experiment in the kitchen like this at home.” This year so far the class has made pizza from scratch, sourdough bread, pretzels, cakes, and even basic things like eggs, which sounds simple but McReynolds was excited since he had never been taught this staple meal. The class also all earned their ServSafe Food Handler Certification through the program which they can use in a variety of ways. McReynolds mentioned that, while he was still unsure of his immediate plans after graduation, the lessons and recipes he was being taught would help him daily when he was living on his own.
Pierson and Dr. Seay work to ensure that students and parents are well-informed about the available pathways. They start the prep for the pathways with eighth and ninth grade students and parents to help students prioritize their interests and make informed decisions about which pathway might be right for them. The upcoming ‘Get Future Ready’ event in April, hosted at Chattanooga State, will provide seventh grade students from across the district with exposure to all available options, ensuring they are well-prepared before entering high school. All zoned eighth grade students scheduled to be incoming freshmen at Ooltewah High can register for future ready (career and technical education) pathway courses and apply during the schedule request window with their school guidance counselor. Out-of-zone students who wish to apply to participate in one of the three Institute pathways, may do so through the Choose Hamilton: School Choice lottery during the application window opening in November.
For more detailed information about the Institutes or Pathways, you can contact Jami Pierson at [email protected] or Dr. Cedric Seay at [email protected].