Students prepare for the future with restructured WMU J-term

WINFIELD — Students at Winfield-Mt. Union (WMU) Junior and Senior High School had the chance to explore career opportunities during this year’s newly restructured J-Term, a few days set aside after winter break for students to explore learning in a different way. This year’s J-Term was specifically designed to build soft skills and provide hands-on learning experiences tailored to students' future careers.

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The new approach to J-Term, which focused on career exploration, gave students the opportunity to engage in mock interviews, visit various businesses, and hear from guest speakers in diverse fields. Music teacher Lindsey Pogmore explained that J-Term’s shift to career-based learning marked a significant change from previous years.

“The last few years, we’ve done a J-Term or a spring term, where we take some time and do a week of project-based learning,” Pogmore said. “This is the first time that it has been career-focused learning and more structured like this.

The program took different approaches for junior high and high school students. Junior high students concentrated on developing soft skills that would be useful in any career, while high school students took a more specialized approach, diving deeper into fields that matched their individual interests.

“It’s about different types of careers and all the groups are doing something different,” Art teacher Elizabeth Schoening said.“ “Students are learning and engaging.”

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One of the central aspects of the J-Term program was career exposure. Students had the chance to learn about various careers through hands-on activities and real-world insights.

“It allows us to explore different career opportunities,” said Jayda Moats, a high school student who participated in the program.

Schoening added that several students had already secured internships and expressed interest in job shadowing opportunities after hearing presentations and visiting businesses.

“Before,[ J-Term] was just we got to do something that we like to do,” High school student Kassydee Newsom explained. “With these ones, it shows us what we can do in the future with what we’re interested in career-wise.”

Students in Schoening’s group visited local businesses such as Walmart Distribution, Anywear Apparel, and Lance Surveying. Other stops included a chiropractic office, funeral home, bank, and day care. Guest speakers from various professions, including journalism, tattooing, photography, baking, and quilting, also shared their career paths with these students.

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“The experience this year was different,” Ella Kann said. “Now it was more like just trying to get us out of school and trying something new. It’s more based on actually what we could do in the future, and we’re not just going to school to do activities.”

Previously, only seniors were allowed to job shadow, but this year, all high school students had the chance to participate. Moats emphasized how this opportunity could open doors for students who might not pursue higher education.

“I think this whole two-day activity is giving us more options outside of college,” she said. “If some kids can’t afford it, or don’t have the opportunity to do it, they have other jobs they can look forward to.”

Students also had the chance to speak with local business owners and hear about their journeys.

“People around that have businesses are taking time out of their day to tell their stories of how their businesses got started, and the pros and cons and how to get where they are,” Moats added.

Pogmore’s group also visited a variety of businesses in the area including the KILJ radio station in Mt. Pleasant and the Washington Evening Journal. The students interacted with various staff members and had the opportunity to record a commercial. Brayden Kline, a student who attended the radio station visit, described the experience positively, saying, “They were pretty nice.”

Another student, Olivia Huyan, was impressed by the camaraderie at the station.

“Their relationship was pretty good. It created a pretty nice work vibe,” she said.

Pogmore, who accompanied the group, noted how the experience exceeded expectations.

“They went so far above and beyond what we were expecting them to do,” she said. “It was so good.”

Students had the chance to ask questions, and many were captivated by the personal stories shared by the professionals they met.

“Even kids I didn’t expect to be interested were engaged,” Pogmore added.

J-Term also included mock interviews with teachers and community members. Students participated in two rounds of interviews. The first round was without preparation, but afterward, teachers provided feedback on how to improve. Tips included making eye contact, speaking clearly, and presenting themselves in the best light. Armed with this feedback, students were given a second chance to practice their skills and apply what they had learned.

This new career-focused J-Term at WMU encourages students to think about their futures, develop essential skills, and explore potential careers in a real-world setting.

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Students from the group lead by Schoening, Rodgers-Jennings, and Drey contributed to this article with brainstorming during a presentation by AnnaMarie Kruse.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Kruse@southeastiowaunion.com