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Buena High School prepares students for the real world

Buena High School prepares students for the real world
Posted at 12:11 PM, Feb 10, 2022
and last updated 2022-02-11 20:07:12-05

SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Buena High School in Sierra Vista is making the connection between textbooks and real life. That’s because of it’s Career Technical Education programs, also known as CTE.

“Being able to take some of our CTE classes, I got to take those and realize what kind of career I wanted to do in the future,” Miranda Delgado, student body Vice President at Buena.

There are 14 different CTE programs, each with hands-on learning to prepare students for their next steps.

“It takes all the skills they learn in English and Science and Math and actually gives them a hands-on reason for why this stuff is important,” said Valerie Weller with Sierra Vista Unified School District.

One option is automotive, where locals drop off their cars that need fixing and students work on them.

“I've learned everything from the most simplest of things from changing tires to changing oil, changing brakes,” said Layla Resendez, student in automotive class.

Teachers train students not only for potential career paths, but also for problem-solving.

“By having that hands-on experience you have that confidence that when you are in an emergency you can say ‘Hey I’ve done this before and I can do it again,’” Ruth Choy, student in automotive class.

There’s also a culinary program with a professional kitchen. These students work in the cafeteria, the student cafe, and sometimes cater for local events.

“It's cool because I like seeing the chemistry behind cooking if that makes sense, you start with basic ingredients and you get creative with it," said Britney Comolli, student in culinary class.

These are only a couple of the many CTE classes students can take. Some of them qualify for college credit or connect students with local businesses.

“We have all our CTE classes, we have the academics, we have fine arts, we have athletics, so we really have a nice rounded mix of everything to give our students some options,” Weller said.

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