With the Cascadia Technical Academy (CTA) campus tours coming up, students will have the opportunity to explore different career pathways taught there. CTA offers 20 different programs available to high school juniors and seniors in the Camas School District and other Southwest Washington schools.
While CTA is already a popular choice within Camas High School (CHS), counselor Sarah Warta is always looking for new ways to get students interested.
“I try to use announcements and send out information to sophomore teachers,” Warta said. “Just because it really is hard to get the word out about it.”
At the CTA campus tour, students can tour three different programs and will be asked specific questions to make sure it will be a good fit.
“It’s half of a student’s day, so we just want to make sure it’s the right fit,” Warta said. “That the student wants to be there, and that it’s a program of interest.”
Warta’s main goal for CTA in the future is to make sure all CHS students are aware of the program.
“I’m always trying to think of new ways to spread awareness, between announcements, in the inside scoop, presentations, and then trying to advertise during SST,” Warta said. “Often, I will hear from students. ‘I didn’t hear about that’ or ‘I didn’t know,’ so I want to alleviate that as much as possible. I’m always open to coming up with new ideas.”
Adyson Greenberg, a senior in the cosmetology program, shared the benefits of being in the CTA program.
“I love being in cosmetology,” Greenberg said. “Being able to have training on specific skills makes me confident for my career in the future.”
CHS junior Emma Lutjen is enrolled in the aviation program, which boasts around 55–60 students. Lutjen shared the difference in structure between CHS and CTA.
“Cascadia is essentially just a trade school, but for high school students, it teaches things like leadership, team bonding, projects, and general learning,” Lutjen said. “We still have tests and quizzes, and we take notes on slideshows.”
Lutjen is very passionate about aviation and encourages other CHS students to find their own path at CTA. However, Lutjen noted that CTA is still not a path for everyone.
“Cascadia is for people who know what they want to do,” Lutjen said. “If you are considering Cascadia as an option, go on the field trips, see what it’s like. Check out different programs, talk to the administrators, and talk to the instructors. Everyone there is super nice and accepting, and they’re willing to help you out and figure out pathways.”
