A Computer-Aided Design workstation, a table filled with decadent pastries and numerous magazines and newspapers. These were just some of the student creations available as a part of PAUSD’s annual Career Themed Pathways Showcase this afternoon in the Media Arts Center.

The showcase consisted of students and teachers displaying informational boards and student-created goods from their respective CTE classes to attendees. Speakers detailed pre-professional electives and career pathways, ranging from biomedical sciences to journalism to computer science.

According to Tanner Ziegelman, who focuses on innovation and technology as a Teacher on Special Assignment for the district, the event successfully showcased career pathways offered at PAUSD schools.  

“We highlighted and celebrated all the student work that has been done thus far in the school year and also highlighted courses that other students might not be aware of,” Ziegelman said.

Local middle school and high school students, teachers, parents and other PAUSD employees gathered to learn more about what education Palo Alto Unified School District has to offer.  

Alex Salzman, design and technology teacher at Jane Lanthrop Stanford Middle School, said that he attended the event to display the efforts of his class’s students and bridge the connection between middle school and high school courses. 

“I wanted to showcase what the students are able to make and then to showcase the program and the skills that they’re learning,” Salzman said. “It’s nice that we [the district] are doing this and showing the pathway between middle school and high school.”

Students advertised specific CTE courses that helped them find a future career focus. 

Paly sophomore Azan Shaikh, who showcased the Principles of Biomedical Science course, said that he enjoys how the course offers hands-on experiences. 

“I really like the whole medical aspect to [Principles of Biomedical Science] — mostly filling out forms and doing actual scientific operations,” Shaikh said. “I’m looking towards a career related to this CTE pathway. We’re learning medicine … and also how to work in a field that’s related to forensic science.” 

Gunn High School’s Baking and Pastry course students also provided snacks for the event, including homemade brownies, pasta salads and cookies.

Cindy Peters, Gunn High School’s culinary science teacher, said that the course not only teaches students culinary science, but also prepares them with important lifelong skills.

“We teach a lot of life skills,” Peters said. “A whole lot of nutrition and how to take care of yourself, how to feed yourself and how to economically do this.”

Ziegelman said that the event gave guiding information to curious middle school students and underclassmen. 

“Coming to an event like this [CTE showcase] gives insight into all the different programs that exist to help [students] start thinking about when they are making their course selections for ninth grade and onwards,” Ziegelman said.

Myles Lee, a seventh-grade student at Fletcher Middle School, attended the event to gain a better understanding of what to expect in his future as a high school student. 

“It’s gonna be really helpful deciding electives next year because in middle school I didn’t really know what the electives were,” Lee said. “There are a lot of electives I can try choosing from.”