MONTEBELLO – Showcasing impressive ingenuity and commitment, more than 200 Montebello Unified graduating seniors presented their capstone projects in front of District officials, community partners and industry representatives at the inaugural Pathways Senior Exhibition. The event, held June 6 at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello, also provided an opportunity for students to win $1,500 in scholarships provided by the Friends of MUSD Foundation.

“Since its implementation, our Pathways have provided each and every student the chance to achieve success while in our classrooms and beyond,” MUSD Board President Edgar Cisneros said. “The innovative projects seen here today are the culmination of years of rigorous instruction and hard work and we wholeheartedly thank our community partners and the Friends of Montebello Unified Foundation for their gracious support of Pathways. We wish the best of luck to our graduates in their future endeavors.”

There are 11 dedicated Pathway programs spread out among all four comprehensive MUSD high schools – Montebello, Bell Gardens, Schurr and the Applied Technology Center (ATC) – encompassing a wide range of possible career opportunities tailored to meet the needs of 21st century marketplaces.

A key to the success of Pathways, according to keynote speaker, ATC senior Anthony Garcia, is the flexibility in its curriculum. Garcia, enrolled in the Culinary Hospitality Educational Fundamentals (CHEF) pathway, described his decision to switch from culinary arts to hospitality management midway through his junior year after accepting an internship with world-renowned event coordinator Lilly Rocha.

“That is the beauty I see in Pathways,” Garcia said. “It opens your eyes to a field full of jobs and careers in so many different areas, and gives you the knowledge to expand into those careers and jobs. On behalf of all Pathway students, past present and future, thank you.”

After the morning showcase, master of ceremony Jose Lopez, an Engineering & Design Pathway junior from Schurr, welcomed Montebello Unified Board of Education members, District administrators and Friends of MUSD Foundation representatives.

Medals were awarded by the Superintendent of Education and high school principals to seniors who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership within their pathway, as well as graduates who have maintained a grade point average of 3.5 or higher. The Friends of MUSD Foundation then presented medallions for the top three exemplary Pathways projects.

Foundation president Lovey Sherman presented a $1,500 Friends of MUSD scholarship that will be shared by the first place winners – Charles Aceves, Alyssa Ascencio, Jose Arenas, Michael Carrillo, Jimi Estrada, Kevin Campos, and Kevin Martinez of ATC’s Architecture, Construction, & Engineering Pathway. Their winning project was titled The Vortex Cannon: Construction, Design & Graphics.

Graduating seniors not only exhibited their final projects, they also participated in Senior Exit interviews conducted by community partners and industry representatives, who offered their feedback and expertise, appraising student resumes and work samples for their mastery of the Pathways graduate profile – critical thinking, communication, creativity and collaboration.

“Pathways continue to grow as our students explore their career options and make real-world contributions that will enhance their ability to be life-long learners,” MUSD Superintendent of Education Susanna Contreras Smith said. “We look forward to seeing what the future brings not just for our graduates but also for our returning high schoolers.”

MUSD Pathways offer students personally relevant, wholly-engaging and rigorous academic and technical curricula combined with exposure to real-world professions; help prepare students to graduate from high school well prepared to enter a two- or four-year college or university; develop opportunities for apprenticeships and formal job training; and expose many students in school to previously unimagined college and career opportunities.

Photo Captions:

Pathways1: More than 200 Montebello Unified graduating seniors presented their Pathway capstone projects in front of District officials, community partners and industry representatives at the inaugural Pathways Senior Exhibition held June 6 at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello.

Pathways2: More than 200 Montebello Unified graduating seniors presented their Pathway capstone projects in front of District officials, community partners and industry representatives at the inaugural Pathways Senior Exhibition held June 6 at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello.