CTE Graduate Profile Book for Madison County

The Innovative Curriculum Resources Project is proud to present this CTE Graduate Profile Booklet.

In this booklet you will find profiles of CTE graduates from Illinois. These graduates have agreed to share their successes and experiences on their career path from CTE students to today’s careers. The personal stories contained in this booklet clearly show that there is no single pathway to a career and certainly no guaranteed road to success. There are some common elements, however, that emerge. First, education is valuable. According to statistics gathered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median high school graduate earns about $200 per week more than someone who does not complete high school. That is over $10,000 per year! Wages increase steadily as the level of education goes up. But there are other benefits as well. Unemployment rates goes down as education goes up. Also, more education means you are qualified for more jobs, making it more likely that you will be employed doing something you really enjoy. Second, the people featured here took CTE classes in high school. These classes do more than prepare you for a job. They teach you how to DO STUFF. They teach you how to find the information you need and use it to solve a problem. It is not about memorizing facts and remembering them long enough to pass the test. CTE classes teach you useful skills that can be applied to lots of different jobs. Finally, each person in this book worked hard to achieve their goals. They did not drop out of school because they didn’t like it anymore. They did not settle for a job simply because they got hired. They figured out what they wanted to do and did what was necessary to get there. Their education and careers did not always turn out the way they expected, but they kept going, even when it was difficult. As you read these profiles, remember that just a few years ago these successful adults were high school students wondering what they should do with their lives…. just like you . If they can do it, so can you.