Receive first-hand knowledge of career fields from industry experts
Texas Border Business
PHARR – Hundreds of PSJA ISD 10th-12th grade students joined industry experts as they continue to explore their future careers as part of the first of several monthly workshops offered through the PSJA Institutes. The first workshops were held Friday, Dec. 6 at various locations.
The PSJA Institutes expanded from one to eight at the start of the school year, after the successful implementation of the PSJA Pre-Law Institute. The seven new institutes launched are the: Mental Health & Human Services; Engineering; Sports Medicine; IT; Education; Entrepreneurship; and Law Enforcement.
As part of the first workshops, students in the eight PSJA Institutes got to participate in various interactive activities and sessions led by industry experts.
“We hope students are inspired by the different career fields,” said PSJA Chief of Technology & Student Services Adrian Garcia who serves as an Advisor for the PSJA IT Institute. “For this month’s workshops, we are focusing on cybersecurity, one of the technology career paths. We hope to get students excited.”
In addition to learning about technology, students in the PSJA Entrepreneurship Institute had the opportunity to develop their own business idea and compete in the RGV Lead Young Entrepreneurs of the RGV Challenge for a chance to win $2,500.
“My parents are business owners,” said Carlos Gonzalez, a junior at PSJA Memorial ECHS. “I joined this Institute because I want to learn how to manage a business to help my parents.”
Students interested in pursuing careers in the justice field also got to participate in a Women in Law Workshop that connected them with experts in the field and taught them about professional attire.
“We want to show our students that careers in the field are possible,” said PSJA School Board Member Jesse Zambrano. “It’s great to have these experts come speak to our students and interact with them.”
For Juan Bravo, a sophomore in the PSJA Collegiate High School Program, being a part of the PSJA Mental Health & Human Services Institute has motivated him to continue pursuing a career in the field.
“Today we learned about perseverance and resilience,” said Bravo. “It taught us that if we are persistent we can strive for our goals. It’s great to know that our district cares for what we want to be when we grow up and helps us be more involved.”
PSJA ISD provides an array of opportunities for students to get hands-on learning and experience in the field of their choice. The PSJA Institutes complement the district’s Early College Program, which graduates students with up to an Associate Degree from South Texas College prior to their high school graduation. As a result, the PSJA Institute Workshop series will be taking place on a monthly basis throughout the 2019-2020 school year.
“We take pride in offering these important career-advancing opportunities for our students,” said PSJA Superintendent Dr. Jorge L. Arredondo. “Thank you to all the business professionals who take time to give back and share their expertise with our students.”
For more information, visit www.psjaisd.us/institutes
