Olympians Get
Real-World Experience
By Staff Writer Jasmine Gonzalez
Leuzinger High School prides itself for having hardworking academics that help Olympians engage with real-world experiences to prepare them for future jobs and enlighten them in ways that help save their communities step-by-step. Leuzinger has three Career Technical Education academies here on campus: ECA, MCA, and CCA. These academies are all very unique as they each offer different career pathways such as multimedia, culinary, and environmental awareness.
Within these academies students learn about the industry and the way businesses work in the real world and send them off after graduation prepared for college and career. The coordinators of each academy help students grow and mature as they guide them to work under expected deadlines and pressure even if they don't feel prepared for it.
"As a junior, Mr. Hiller gave me the opportunity to shoot photos of events for Kinecta under his supervision. Once I became a senior, I already knew what to do and I gained a career training by covering events myself. I learned how to approach a client, get their shot list, edit and deliver. I never would have had this opportunity without this partnership. Thanks, MCA Productions and Kinecta!" In the MCA, Mr. Hiller teaches students about the importance of having connections and being able to own up to one's responsibilities by giving his students the chance to go on jobs and photograph important school events.
MCA students providing services to clients, shot by Sean Hiller and Angel Esquivel
"CCA has improved my academic learning by showing me how to work in groups with other people and helped me form a team by organizing how each person does their job. For example, cooking or getting ingredients or washing dishes. Also, it has helped me learn how to cut different fruits and vegetables and how to cut chicken and prepare different dishes and how to present them and how it's supposed to taste along with different types of ingredients it includes," said student Berenice Martinez. The CCA academy allows their students to compete and cater several events that help them grow and experience the pressure of cooking quality meals and impressing their audiences all in one.
CCA Students contributing to culinary practices, shot by Andro Somaweil and Angel Mendoza
"ECA has taught me a lot from things that we've used on a daily basis and to just be more aware of stuff that are actually harming us and not just the environment and our practices that is bringing the world to an end..," said Lupe Jurado.
She also values the leadership experience the academy offers. "Something I'll take from ECA will be leadership, like the leadership role I play as to Co-Vice President of the academy and stuff that has allowed me and my peers to make a difference in our school and shine light on the knowledge we gained school wide." As for the ECA, students are informed and taught about environmental issues and the real world effects that come along with them. They are given the opportunity to beautify and come up with solutions that will help our campus and community improve with initiatives like their solar charging station near the F-building and classroom recycling program.
ECA Students exploring Yosemite Camps, shot by Johnny Cruz and Brian Doval