RANDALLSTOWN, Md. — A career navigator at Randallstown High School is helping students explore their options after graduation — whether that means college, apprenticeships, or jumping straight into the workforce.
Wanda Etheridge has been at Randallstown High School for 24 years. The school's Career Navigator position was created about two years ago through Baltimore County Public Schools, but Etheridge was already a familiar face on campus. The role was built for someone with a business background, blending college and career mentorship for students thinking about their futures.
"They needed someone with a business background and um so that was the college and career piece where I could mentor students for their futures and 24 years later, 24 years later, I'm still here," Etheridge said.
Career navigator helps Randallstown High School students find their path after graduation
Her program takes a hands-on approach, bringing students out into the community and bringing the community into the classroom.
"Part of that program is taking them out to businesses to explore. So we do field trips so they can go to those different businesses. We have speakers come in who do, um, share their journey of how they got where they are. And then we also have the work-based learning piece to still get work experience," Etheridge said.
One of the tools she uses is a career assessment called My Next Move, which helps students identify their interests and match them to potential careers. The assessment is paired with a detailed occupational resource.
"It's a dictionary of occupations that describes the occupations, the tasks that are involved with those occupations, the technical skills needed, how many, it shows you how many people have degrees or not in that occupation, so you know what you're up against, and it also allows you someplace yourself in different states to see what the need is in that state and what the salaries are in that state," Etheridge said.
Etheridge is also clear that a four-year college degree isn't the only road to success.
"Not everyone is cut out for college, um, and there are plenty of lucrative careers that do not require a college degree, so students can go into apprenticeship programs and get paid training, move into a position," Etheridge said.
Students say the program has opened their eyes to possibilities they didn't know existed. London Howell, a 10th grader interested in marine biology, theatre, and the arts, said her career navigation results matched what she already knew about herself.
"I think it's a really good program. It's like got me to experience a whole bunch of new things I didn't even know existed other than just like college and stuff," Howell said.
When asked about her assessment chart, Howell said it was right on target.
"I think it's really accurate," Howell said.
For Etheridge, the greatest reward comes long after students leave her office.
"I love when um students come back and, um, they tell me their success stories. Um, they sometimes attribute it to working with me and also with the staff here, you know, I get a lot of support from the leadership in the school, the teachers, the counselors, and then the businesses who open their doors for different opportunities for the students," Etheridge said.
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