High School Career Pathways students participate in Career Technical Education Showcase

Students from all five MDUSD comprehensive high schools participated in the 2025 MDUSD Campus to Commerce Career Pathways Showcase on May 1 at John Muir Health in Concord, displaying photos and samples of their work and speaking to visitors about what they are learning. During the event, three students participated in a panel discussion about the value of the District's career pathways programs along with three internship providers from local businesses.

The participating Career Pathways programs included: Art & Digital Media at College Park HS; Art & Digital Media, Engineering, and Transportation at Concord HS; Art & Digital Media, Engineering, Information Computer Technology, and Patient Care at Mt. Diablo HS; Art & Digital Media at Northgate HS; and Education, Engineering, and Health Care at Ygnacio Valley HS. 

The student panelists were MDHS Patient Care Pathway student Sofia Carrera Cuevas, CPHS Art & Digital Media student Joseph Giacomino, and YVHS Engineering student Angie Villalon. Sofia, a sophomore, said she has appreciated the internship and training opportunities she has received, which have strengthened her interest in healthcare. She has worked as a paid intern for MDHS teacher Dr. David Pintado's East Bay CPR organization, and received Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) training through a partnership between MDHS and the city of Concord. Joseph, a sophomore, said business partners show students things they aren't exposed to in school. He met with the Sunvalley Shopping Center manager to discuss marketing, and visited the Academy of Art and the Disney animation studio, which helped him to decide that he was most interested in animation, he said. Angie, a senior, said her internship at Calitho enabled her to use machines and software not available at her school. "It helped me to realize I want to continue developing my skills in product design," she said. 

Students showcasing their programs at display booths were also enthusiastic about the in-depth career education they are receiving. MDHS Digital Arts & Media students Isabella Leon and Gisselle Garcia explained their "capstone" projects to Superintendent Dr. Adam Clark, including photo displays and posters. Both students plan to attend Diablo Valley College (DVC) after graduation, then transfer to universities. CHS photo arts student Penny Selby said she likes expressing herself through photography and using technology to enhance her photos. Although her career goal is to become a librarian, she says she will continue to explore photography as a hobby. YVHS Education Academy student Amy Arreola said her courses are preparing her for a career as a teacher, and she would ideally like to return to MDUSD and teach ethnic studies, which she said is crucial to help students understand themselves, their families and their peers. 

During his presentation at the event, Dr. Clark said MDUSD is working to teach students technical skills needed to pursue careers, as well as "soft skills" , such as showing up on time, being able to work with diverse people, and critical problem-solving. Partnering with local businesses gives them an opportunity to help shape their future workforce, while giving students valuable exposure to real life careers. "I see it as a symbiotic relationship between our schools and our business partners," Dr. Clark said.