Lilly Eldridge knew she was interested in robotics and engineering, so landing herself a spot in the Mechatronics class at the Kalamazoo RESA Career Connect campus is a perfect fit.
"I always wanted to do something with robotics, and I'm really interested in engineering," Lilly said.
The Portage Central junior is one of dozens of PPS high school students who spend part of their day at the new Career Connect campus. February is Career, Technical Education Month, and we spoke to a handful of students about why they love their CTE courses.
Lilly said students in Mechatronics learn a variety of skills such as 3D design, soldering, coding, electrical and even making their own robots.
"I love it, it's really fun," she said.
Lilly's classmate Nolan Hough, a junior from Portage Northern, said he enjoys the hands-on aspects of his class at KRESA.
"I like the freedom of the classroom," he said. "There's a lot of collaboration and communication between the students and teachers."
He plans to attend Michigan Technological University and hopes to work in a robotics-based field, Nolan said.
Under the same roof at the Career Connect Campus, Chloe Steele is sketching a layout for a coffee shop and comparing samples of furniture and flooring materials. She's in the Design class where she's learning about Interior Design.
The Central senior said the Design program teaches students about a variety of different types of design such as graphic design, product design, interior design and even fashion. While Cloe plans to pursue a career in Interior Design, the program at KVCC is broadening her understanding and knowledge of different career paths within design.
"It's really fun," Chloe said.
The opportunity to take such career-focused classes while still in high school is setting her up for success in college, she said.
The same is true for Hannah Tran, a junior from Northern. Her time in the Pharmacy Tech class is helping prepare her for a future job in healthcare, she said.
In her first year at KRESA, Hannah said the class is teaching her about reading prescriptions and handling medications.
"I really like learning new things and the opportunity to meet new people from other schools," Hannah said.
Vinny Degani said his favorite part about attending classes at the Career Connect campus is the dedicated learning spaces they provide.
"I love how we have a dedicated space where we are simulating real-life cases," the Rehab Therapy student said of his classroom, which looks much like a regular therapy office.
The students learn new skills across the hall inside a more traditional classroom but return to the space to practice those skills, the PC senior said, standing near patient beds, treadmills, weight racks and parallel bars that give students real-life rehab experience.
The KRESA Career Connect Campus is Kalamazoo County’s world-class, centralized home for countywide Career and Technical Education classes. To learn more, visit kresa.org/career-connect.