Students with the Career and Technical Education program at Belton High School spent weeks on microbiology projects and they got the chance to present their work for an award.
Medical microbiology is the bedrock for anyone that plans to go into the medical field, and for students at Belton High School that are interested, taking that course through the Career and Technical Education program was a must.
"I wanted to be as experienced as possible going into the real world," said Mackenzie Rogers, Senior at Belton High School. "So, I decided, maybe if I go into a CTE class, may that will prepare me for a job or getting into college. So, it was definitely really helpful to go to a CTE class.”
Since CTE classes are not just a traditional class, either was their approach to the microbiology project that included real-world aspects like communication skills.
"How do you talk to strangers?" said Malintha Abeysiri, CTE Medical microbiology teacher. "How do you give your pitch to the strangers? So, I told them you need to come up with an elevator pitch. How do you sell your product? Your research is your product.”
With the possibility of taking home an award in mind, the students were excited to finally show off all their hard work even if selling their product is a little scary.
"Yesterday I was very nervous but now that I have had a few words with my family, who are very supportive of me, I am very ready and excited and bringing all this positive energy to this symposium,” said junior Ebenie Gray.
The CTE program is a voluntary program that, as Belton High senior Will Hayes now knows, can change the direction of your future.
"It’s actually been really fun and a lot of fun hard work. A good learning experience and I've actually really enjoyed it. So, I might look into this line of work for the future,” said Hayes.
In just one year the Medical microbiology class has grown from just a few students to full classes, but it’s the growth within each student that they're seeing the most.
"I am so proud. I am beyond happy. They have done such an incredible job if you look at the posters. They are well beyond my expectations. So, I'm really proud,” said Abeysiri.
Even though only six students were able to walk home with awards today, all of them agreed that the hard work they put into their projects was more than worth it.
