Isaiah Freedman Sports Editor
For a class that only meets once a week, Work Experience packs a huge learning punch. Open only to students who currently have jobs or are TAs (Teacher Assistants), the class is designed to prepare students for life after school.
Spearheading the Work Experience Program, which meets twice a month, is Elfego Cruz who has taken over for last year’s teacher Charlie Stansbury. The class covers a variety of topics, from lessons on sexual harassment and conflict resolution to career development and communication skills.
“In the class, students learn a wide variety of concepts, ideals, rules and strategies which aid them to better perform their responsibilities at work, internships or TA positions,” Cruz said.
Cruz tackles the topics by mixing his lunchtime presentations with assigning articles to read.
“This knowledge is passed down to students via Harvard Business Review articles and mini-lectures during lunch,” Cruz said.
Since Work Experience has around 100 students enrolled, Cruz has decided to split the class in two, since attempting to teach so many kids at once would prove to be counterproductive.
“There are about 100 students in the class, which is too many students for a single class room, so I’ve divided the class into two groups. Students with last names A-H are one group, which meet on Wednesdays while students with last names I-Z meet on Tuesdays,” Cruz said.
Senior Shauna Mehrabanian, who is currently enrolled in Work Experience, enjoys the class due to the life skills it addresses and appreciates the job-preparation skills it emphasizes.
“This class exposes you to the independence and professionalism involved with having a job. I believe this class is important because the skills we learn can be applied to everyday life,” Mehrabanian said.
Work experience has prepared students like Mehrabanian for how to approach job interviews.
“This class has helped me by making me more aware of how to approach professionals when going to an interview and building up,” Mehrabanian said.
Senior Preston Rozwood, a TA for AP Computer Science, acknowledges the same idea Cruz and Mehrabanian have stressed.
“It is a class that helps kids learn about working in real life,” Rozwood said simply.
The class may not meet much, but the lessons learned inside the classroom will help students far into their future.