By Wendy Gragg

Tribune-Herald staff writer

Fourteen-year-old Nikki Ruiz doesn’t know what high school is like. She doesn’t know who she’ll go to prom with, and she doesn’t know how to drive a car.

But she knows she’d probably make a good crime scene investigator and has a plan to get there.

Waco Independent School District officials say that through a new statewide initiative, Achieve Texas, this kind of focus is possible for every student. Expectations for Achieve Texas are high: that the initiative can prepare students for today’s competitive job market and reduce the high school dropout rate.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Karen Matkin McLennan County district clerk Growing up in Muskogee, Okla., Matkin was interested in physics and excelled in chemistry after her mom equated recipes to chemical equations.	Ernesto Fraga Publisher, Tiempo newspaper As a 13-year-old busboy at Italian Village restaurant, Fraga imagined becoming a famous painter or musician. "I thought I would get rich that way."	Chet Edwards U.S. House of Representatives Edwards was a golfer at 7 and won a state junior title at 14. But two losses to Ben Crenshaw convinced him "God had a different plan for my life."	Virginia DuPuy Mayor of Waco In junior high in Houston, DuPuy loved school and dreamed of being a musician, inventor or painter. "I had some ideas for inventions, but they were very unscientific."	Pat Atkins Waco attorney, WISD board Before becoming a lawyer, Atkins wanted to be a veterinarian, then the coach of the Dallas Cowboys — a job he knew he'd never wrest from Tom Landry.

Exploring careers

Achieve Texas tries to get kids thinking early on about what they want to be. In elementary school, students learn about careers and are introduced to some via books and career speakers.

“In our community, a lot of kids don’t know what jobs are out there, aren’t aware of the vast number of things they can be,” said Donna McKethan, Waco ISD director of early education and career and technology education.

By middle school, students investigate careers through the program and learn about their skills and interests. Eighth-graders take a career investigations class, where they learn about the 16 career categories within Achieve Texas, such as finance, human services and information technology.

This year, WISD introduced eighth-graders like Ruiz to Achieve Texas and its career categories, which identify high-paying, high-growth jobs in Texas today. Students take aptitude tests and work with career counselors from the high schools to choose their courses for the next four years.

“We rarely come across those who don’t have any idea (what they want to do),” said Sharon Hetherington, district career and technology education counselor. “We are amazed. There are very few who switch around.”

Jerry Larson/Waco Tribune-Herald

University High School senior Madison Herferth (center) takes the respiratory rate of Royal Manor Health Center resident Violet Barnes as junior Crystal Ramirez looks on. Herferth and Ramirez are working on their certified nursing assistant certification through a career and technology education class at WISD. Nursing care facilities are listed as one of the growing industries in Central Texas.

Jerry Larson/Waco Tribune-Herald

University High School junior Tiarre Devereaux-Drakes wipes crumbs from the mouth of Royal Manor Health Center resident Dr. John Steel after helping him with his breakfast. Devereaux-Drakes is working on her certified nursing assistant's certification through WISD career and technology programs. Nursing care facilities are listed as a targeted industry for Central Texas.

Duane A. Laverty/Waco Tribune-Herald

Cesar Chavez Middle School principal Alfredo Laredo visits with eighth-grader Nikki Ruiz in science class Tuesday. Nikki, 14, plans to harness her love of science and math and head down a path toward detective work or a medical field.

Realities of career world

Hetherington said career counselors don’t candy-coat their talks with students about careers. She said they are straightforward about the incomes and circumstances of various jobs. Some students express an interest in auto paint and body, she said, so counselors tell them about the gear, from the jumpsuit to the breathing mask, that they would have to wear for the job.

McKethan said counselors don’t want to crush students’ dreams, but want to balance them with reality.

Counselors also discuss area job availability. WISD’s career and technology education program includes all but one of the target industries for the Central Texas area.

When considering new CTE programs, McKethan said her first thought is whether there are jobs available in that field in Central Texas.

Finding focus

Ruiz wants to be a detective or anesthesiologist, so she can put her love of science and math to good use. Ruiz was steered toward health services by career matchmaking tests and research on the Career Cruising Web site. University High School career counselor Susan Wilson also talked to Ruiz about challenging herself, and signed her up for advanced placement courses, where she can gain college credit in high school.

Ruiz said she knows she can change her mind about a career, but can’t imagine she will. Achieve Texas gave her focus, and her family gave her the drive.

“Most of my family never graduated from high school, so I tried to prepare myself earlier. I want to have more than four years of college,” Ruiz said. “My mom, when she was my age, she didn’t know what she wanted to be.”

McKethan said Achieve Texas gives eighth-graders focus that may be a great tool against dropping out.

She said if a student has goals and can see past high school and see why they are taking their classes, they are more likely to stay in school.

“From the beginning of time, students have asked, ‘Why am I studying this?’ Achieve Texas tells them why,” she said.

Blurring the line

Achieve Texas also eases the separation that has long existed between college and vocational education tracks. McKethan said that in today’s world, everyone needs training or specialization, even if working toward their bachelor’s degrees.

“A college degree doesn’t mean anything if it doesn’t fit what you want to be. It’s not the same world we used to live in,” she said.

McKethan said students can change their course paths a couple of times in high school, but more than that and students lose any benefit from the career path.

“Sometimes you take a career pathway to find that’s not what you want. You’re not a failure. It’s better to explore this in high school than college,” McKethan said.

CTE courses also help students earn credit or certificates in certain areas while still in high school. McKethan said this approach may help families save money on college and help students get out of college in a timely manner.

“The universities are pulling away from the ‘just come here and take courses’ (attitude),” Hetherington said.

Achieve Texas

Achieve Texas was introduced in summer 2006 and interested school districts were given three years to implement it. McKethan said Waco ISD is ahead of the game, because it had the framework running in two years, while some schools she has contacted still are working on their plans.

Achieve Texas is not mandatory for school districts, but it is required for districts wanting some federal funding.

McKethan said WISD CTE programs rely on that federal funding. The roughly $300,000 a year pays for career counselors and equipment for CTE programs and classes.

wgragg@wacotrib.com

757-6901