Congressman Bera Tours NUSD's CTE Pathways

Congressman Ami Bera spent the morning of April 20th, touring and learning about the many Career Technical Education Pathways that Natomas Unified School District provides to students. He mentioned throughout the day how impressed he was with the caliber of students in each CTE Pathway, the facilities they train in for the future, and the dedication of staff.

Natomas Unified offers 10 CTE pathways for students to gain real-world experiences and skills. The tour did not include all 10 pathways, but a sampling of what’s available for students to be engaged, connected, and exposed to possibilities for their future. “It’s about providing exposure not necessarily a commitment to go into that field,” shares AJ Giersch, Executive Director. “The skills are transferable, so if students decide another career path, they can still utilize those workplace competencies.”

The day started with a tour of two pathways at Inderkum High School - Public Safety and Broadcast Media. During the tour of Public Safety where students learn skills that protect the public such as police officers, fire fighters, and crime scene investigators, students were intently listening to a public speaker with years of experience in the field. Later in Broadcast Media, Congressman Bera was interviewed on the set as part of the school’s broadcast newscast “Tiger Talk.” During the interview, students were performing a variety of roles including anchor, director, camera and audio operator, and much more.

After Inderkum, the tour continued at Discovery High School where students in the Hospitality Pathway demonstrated their culinary skills with omelets and barista skills with lattes. One student shared that although he knew how to scramble eggs, it wasn’t until his participation in this pathway that he learned how to cook it in so many different ways. He also commented on how this pathway can help him obtain a good part-time job right now.

Before leaving the Discovery campus, Congressman Bera was able to tour the Building Construction and Trades building and view the sheds and tiny houses that the students had built. This pathway is open to all NUSD high school students even if they attend high school at another location. Just prior to leaving Discovery, the team took a sneak peek into the future Cosmetology and Barbering classroom where students will be able to earn hours towards their Cosmetology State License and practice their skills with clients from the community.

The visit ended at the Urgent Care Now Natomas Healthcare Facility, located at 1931 Arena Bvd., where Natomas Unified is able to provide affordable medical care for students, families, and community members. Students from the Healthcare Pathway at Natomas High School are able to gain realworld experience when they perform medical assisting functions at the district’s vaccination clinics.

NUSD Trustees Erika Harden, Susan Heredia, and Lisa Kaplan also accompanied Congressman Bera on the tour along with Superintendent Chris Evans, some district staff members, and members of the Congressman’s team.