Northside High School
Columbus, Georgia
Mrs. Shea Lindblad’s tenth graders are asking questions about a slide that could change the trajectory of their futures. It’s Family and Consumer Science class, and the teenagers are looking at the salaries and job growth market percentage for three roles that require a college degree. The presenter, International Logistics Manager Brian Jones from Nucor, jumps to the next slide in his Career Connect presentation, this one covering three jobs that don’t require a degree and offer on-the-job training.
The message he sends isn’t that one path is better than the other. It’s that students deserve to see all of them. That’s the kind of clarity that Career Connect, a program from Discovery Education, delivers by bringing professionals into classrooms to show students what’s possible.
Starting with the Student
After two decades in education, Lindblad, a Family and Consumer Science Teacher at Northside High School in Columbus, Georgia, knows that preparing students for what comes next is no small task. With AI reshaping the workforce and industries evolving faster than ever, the world her students are entering looks vastly different from just a few years ago. Lindblad helps her students develop skills that hold up no matter how the landscape shifts. She believes that begins with self-awareness, and she uses interest quizzes, vision boards, and reflections to help students get to know themselves before they choose a path.
“My role is to help these kids figure out who they are intrinsically. What are your interests? What do you like to do?” she said. By understanding their own strengths and abilities, Lindblad believes they’ve taken the first step towards their future.
Built to Last: Communication and Real-World Skills
Once students have established a better understanding of themselves, Lindblad begins working on the type of skills necessary for them to make their way in the world. That starts with being an effective communicator.
“You have to be able to read, write, speak, and present yourself in a professional way,” she said. Her students learn their own communication styles, as well as how to identify others (especially important since communication has been identified as a career skill that AI won’t replace).
From there, students begin working on practical skills, including building a resume and doing mock interviews. Many of her students work part-time jobs, giving them critical real-world experience. Students who complete Lindland’s food, nutrition, and wellness courses earn the ServSafe end-of-pathway credential, making them more employable within the food industry.
Seeing What’s Possible
Lindblad’s CTAE classes go far beyond food safety certification, and her students are choosing between four-year or community college, the military, or going straight into the work force. That’s where Discovery Education’s Career Connect is especially helpful, allowing teachers to book live presentations from over 350 professionals in fields that range from engineering to data analytics to conservation outreach.
“Career Connect is so easy to navigate. I started by clicking on career clusters, then dug deeper,” Lindblad said. She also noted the quick turnaround time to bring the professionals into classrooms. “There was another platform I saw, but they required at least three weeks advance notice. Discovery Education Career Connect was much faster.”
Through Career Connect live sessions, students hear personal stories, learn about different career journeys, and receive valuable advice about college and job opportunities they might never have known existed.
“We must remember that not every student has the opportunity to travel, explore new places, or experience different cultures firsthand,” said Lindblad. “Discovery Education brings those opportunities into our classrooms, allowing ALL students to connect with people from different backgrounds, cultures, and careers across the United States.”
Volunteers Who Open Doors
So far, Lindblad’s students have heard from a finance professional, a Minecraft developer, and international logistics manager Brian Jones, mentioned above. Jones has a simple, three-word personal mission statement: “To be useful.” Career Connect gives him the opportunity to do just that.
This is exciting, but also daunting for children who are still learning to cook themselves dinner and drive a car. Programs like Career Connect, and volunteers like Jones bring these opportunities into classrooms and open students’ eyes to opportunities they may have never considered before.
“I’ve always had tremendous respect for teachers, and I’m also self-aware enough to recognize that my own patience might not make teaching the ideal profession for me!” said Jones. “But Career Connect offers a way to support educators, contribute to their classrooms, and hopefully make a positive difference for students in a way that fits my skills and experiences.”
The future may be changing quickly, but thanks to volunteers like Brian Jones, dedicated teachers like Mrs. Lindblad, and Career Connect, students are learning how to meet it.
Three Takeaways About Career Connect at Northside High School
- It’s important for students to see every path, not be steered toward one.
Career readiness starts with self-knowledge and builds from there.
Career Connect gives students real-world access that classrooms can’t easily provide.
