Students prepare for the future in Senior Transitions class

The primary goal of high school is to equip students with the knowledge they need to thrive in whatever colleges or careers they choose to pursue after they graduate.

Senior transitions highlights this goal.

A semester long class offered to students in the senior class, senior transitions works to inform students in the details critical to their success as they transition to the future.

Recently in senior transitions, students have been practicing the job interview process, studying how a desirable applicant looks, acts, and speaks.

Angalina Boettcher, who is teaching senior transitions this year, explained, “A primary focus of the Senior Transitions and Independent Living courses at LRHS is to prepare students for real life situations, primarily functioning as an adult in regards to work and home life.

“One essential skill people need is interviewing for jobs, be it a part time job for college or their dream job. By having students experience a realistic interview situation, they will become better prepared for when it counts.”

Senior transitions is a unique class to LRHS. It is not part of any state standards but is required by LRHS students for graduation. The content covered in the course is what the school considers to be vital to student success in their post high school endeavors.

The art of the job interview is an important part of the curriculum.

Boettcher continued, “We have been preparing students for the process through guest speakers, professionals who complete interviews for their own employment and/or company.

“We also demonstrated an interview for the entire class, where I was interviewed by students. Finally, they practiced mock interviews where groups of three students interviewed each other in an informal setting, then in front of the entire class.”

The benefit of practicing interviews, Boettcher said, is for “each student [to experience] the pressure of speaking in front of their peers.”

Students will put their interview skills to the test. “The final portion of this activity is holding realistic interview situations for each students,” Boettcher said.

“Community members have volunteered their time on December 3 to be a part of an interview panel. Each student will come dressed professionally and be interviewed by a panel for 15 minutes. The students will then receive feedback from the community members,” Boettcher said.

“The purpose of formal interviews is to allow students to apply the skills we have been practicing in a real life situation; it will also allow them to receive feedback from professionals,” she explained.

The seniors in the class are benefiting practicing the interview process.

Student Raeann Hoeft said, “You have to take them seriously. In class it’s easy to think they are easy and no big deal or just a grade, but in real life it determines whether you are employed or unemployed and that’s a big deal.

“It’s important because it makes or breaks your future,” she added.

Student Holly Nygren feels similarly.

She said, “Interviews are about trying to sell yourself as a person. You need to be able to answer questions about yourself in a way that tells your employer how great of an employee you will be.”

“It is very important to practice the interviewing process,” Nygren explained, “because once you get out into the real world it makes it easier to prepare for a job.

“You are already prepared for the interview. It makes it easier for you to concentrate on other parts of the interviewing process because you won’t be as worried about the interview itself because you know what to expect.”

Boettcher concluded, “Our primary goal is to help students become comfortable with selling themselves to employers; this will help them be more successful in finding employment once they leave LRHS.”

The students agree.

Nygren said, “The things we are learning will help us succeed in the future.”