Few questions feel as universal or as daunting as the one every student is inevitably asked: What do you want to be when you grow up? However, as college applications loom in the not-so-distant future, the question begins to feel less hypothetical and more like reality to high school students.
High school is considered the time for students to explore new subjects and hone in on career goals. But what happens if the conventional classes offered at school don’t spark one’s interest? Dual Enrollment and Career Technical Education (CTE) counselor Monica Hamilton helps students realize their passions and develop hands-on experience through learning opportunities that extend beyond the classroom.
As a counselor on special assignment, Hamilton works for the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (PVPUSD) to oversee career pathways, dual enrollment courses and student internships. Through CTE pathways, students can take classes at PVPUSD high schools and Los Angeles Harbor College (LAHC) to build career-specific skills in areas such as Business & Finance, Engineering & Architecture and Health Sciences & Medical Technology.
“It helps students make sense of why they’re choosing the classes they’re choosing to help them get to their long-term goals,” Hamilton said.
“I wanted to learn about business in general to see what it’s like because I didn’t know if I actually wanted to go into it, [and] now I do. I find it interesting enough to follow and pursue it,” Lucas Alvarez, a senior in the Business Pathways program said after taking classes in business administration, business law, critical thinking and data management.
“It’s a good program. The teachers are actually cool…they enjoy what they do. [With] my finance professor, we’d do mini projects in class where we’d do market research on a certain brand to find out if they would do better in the future and if their stock would rise or fall,” Alvarez said.
In addition, Hamilton manages PVPUSD’s dual enrollment program with LAHC, in which students can earn high school and college credit by taking classes like film appreciation or abnormal psychology.
Hamilton also develops internship programs for students to connect them with new fields of study and potential employers. Most recently, she helped design the One-In-Seven public health internship between PVHS and the University of Southern California (USC) Kidney Disease Research Institute.
Having studied journalism at USC, Hamilton realized the importance of interpersonal skills in the workplace. Thus, each internship she creates includes opportunities for students to work on projects, network with industry professionals, and develop soft skills. By offering these personalized programs, Hamilton hopes to make education feel exciting and relevant.
“My job is to make students feel more engaged. I’m creating meaningful programs so students are excited to come to school,” said Hamilton.
She discovered her love for advising youth after developing internship programs for college students and working as a college counselor.
“I like working with young people. They’re inspiring. They see the world through fresh eyes…[and] it’s a pivotal time to help somebody,” Hamilton said.
At PVHS, Hamilton hopes to help students achieve their long-term goals. However, beyond career readiness, Hamilton stresses the importance of finding one’s purpose in life.
“I think we put so much pressure on students to figure out what they want to do now. But you have so much time to be an adult. It doesn’t even have to be career oriented. [Find] meaning in the things that you do, and if there’s no meaning in what you do, it’s never too late to start, or start over.”