The second-semester internship application portal closed Nov. 1 and we saw xx students across our seven counties apply for an internship opportunity. We will be working on placements for these students over the next several months. If your organization is interested in hosting a high school intern and helping a student explore careers in your industry, please contact Rochelle Sowers at rochelle.sowers@kirkwood.edu for more information!

WLC Brings Financial Literacy to High School Students

One of our largest coordinated events of the school year is our Financial Literacy Fair (FLF), which we put on for nearly all eighth grade students across our seven-county region. This event helps students understand how much things cost, and they learn the importance of budgeting and financial literacy. In conversations with our educator contacts, we have regularly heard that high school students would benefit from a financial literacy event like this as well. Additionally, while eighth grade is a great time to introduce these concepts, students need a refresher in the years before they graduate and step out on their own.

Taking that feedback, over the last few years, WLC has worked on developing a new expanded version of our FLF so it can be offered to area high schoolers. This offering, called Next Step Finances, is a teaching toolkit that high schools can check out that expands on what students learned in eighth grade FLF. Students make financial decisions, get budgeting practice, and learn key finance terms. They learn that financial literacy is about making decisions based on needs versus wants. The activity provides a tangible illustration of how career and life choices directly impact their lifestyle and financial future. This program goes deeper into topics covered in eighth grade, including insurance, medical care, childcare, and more.

The detailed Next Step Finances toolkit includes a budget sheet, a life packet, online resources, 16 poster boards, and instructions for setup and volunteer coaching. WLC also provides training on all of these resources. Schools then take these assets, source the needed volunteers, and host the event at their school. Juniors or seniors complete prework before attending the 45-minute interactive experience. As they go through the event, they make financial decisions about real-life expenses, and at the end, they meet with a volunteer to review budget results and make adjustments.

As one Cedar Rapids Community School District staff member involved in the pilot phase of our program said, “The engagement I witnessed from the students made my heart swell. I LOVED hearing the conversations between students and the volunteers, and hearing students’ thoughts on the experience.”

To learn more about hosting Next Step Finances at your school, please reach out to the program coordinator, Cheryl Valenta, at cheryl.valenta@kirkwood.edu.

Where Are They Now? Spare Time Event Manager Destiny Benson

Destiny Benson, a 2017 Jefferson High School graduate, is the event manager at Spare Time in Cedar Rapids. “I love my current role. I get to connect with the community and work with a variety of different people,” Destiny says. “We do a little of everything here, from bowling to laser tag to escape rooms and more, so every day is different. I love being out of the office and engaging with people.

“There is so much background work that goes into planning events that most people don’t see,” Destiny continues. “It is like a puzzle: You have to put all the pieces together or figure out how you’re going to make something work. And then it works. It’s so rewarding. Event planning is a perfect fit for me.”

Destiny’s path to becoming an event manager wasn’t a straight line. She utilized career exploration opportunities through Workplace Learning Connection to help her find her calling.

“I don’t think I’d be where I am today if I didn’t do the WLC Job Shadow and Internship programs. I originally thought I wanted to be an elementary school teacher or a school counselor. I did two job shadows in those careers, and even in that short time frame, I realized that wasn’t the path for me. I couldn’t see myself doing that for the rest of my life,” Destiny says. “So then I started exploring other career options through WLC. I did an internship with Metro Studios and job shadows with KZIA and KGAN (now Iowa News Now). I ended up getting jobs at both KZIA and KGAN thanks to the connections I made through WLC. These experiences ended up guiding my career and impacted where I chose to go to college.”

After graduation, Destiny went to Kirkwood and got her associate degree. She was able to graduate a semester early thanks to the dual-enrollment courses she took through Kirkwood during high school. After Kirkwood, she went to Upper Iowa University and graduated with a major in Communications and a minor in Mass Media.

“There was a time in high school when I was like, ‘I am not going to go to college after high school,’ but then my interest was piqued and I got really into broadcasting. And I thought, ‘Oh, yeah, I could go to Kirkwood and get my associate [degree].’ And then from there, ‘I can go a little bit further and go to Upper Iowa.’ Discovering where my passions were made all the difference,” Destiny says.

“I graduated in 2020, during COVID, so for my first broadcasting job I ended up being at my desk a lot,” she continues. “It was more of an office job, which made me realize what I really liked was events and going places and meeting different people. So then, that’s when I pivoted to my current career path.”

Not only has Destiny found a career she loves, but she has also started paying forward her career exploration opportunities by hosting job shadows. “I love being able to support those opportunities. It is so beneficial to get a glimpse of a career before you go into the field. I know that firsthand!”

WLC Career Discovery Tours Introduce Students to Area Businesses

In October, WLC coordinated our annual Career Discovery Tours for middle and high school students. Thirty-six area businesses and organizations opened their doors to students as part of our event. Tours took place across Benton, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, and Washington counties. More than 1,000 students attended at least one tour. Students heard directly from employees, saw the operations and innovation happening, and learned about the great career opportunities available and the type of education needed to get hired.

An important goal of the Career Discovery Tours is to make students aware of the amazing, innovative companies and careers available right here in our region.

“It was truly our pleasure to host a Career Discovery Tour this week,” said Craig Lavrenz with Metal Design Systems. “The entire group was very professional and well behaved. We were honored to be able to introduce the next generation of leaders to an ever-growing industry.”

The middle and high school classes that participated are focused on manufacturing, industrial technology, engineering, architecture, agriculture, or the arts. Students discovered the products that local employers create, the services they provide, the latest technology being used, and the important research being done.

These generous companies opened their doors to talk with students:
Amana Farms – Methane Digester, Bazooka Farmstar, Capri Cosmetology College, Centro Inc., Collins Aerospace, Coralville Fire Department, Crystal Group, Eldon C. Stutsman Inc., ESCO Group, FREUND Inc., Frontier Co-Op, Heartland Goodwill Enterprises, HNI Corp, HR Green, Hydroinformatics Lab – University of Iowa College of Engineering, IFP Motion Solutions, IIHR—Hydroscience & Engineering, Iowa Army National Guard, Kinze Manufacturing, Ledford Engineering, Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative, Metal Design Systems, Midwest Metal Products, Modern Companies, MSI Mold Builders, New Leader Manufacturing, Newell Machinery Company, Polo Custom Products, Schimberg Company, Skyworks Solutions, The Englert Theatre, University of Iowa Driving Safety Research Institute, Vinton Municipal Electric Utility, Williamsburg Manufacturing – MAGNA International, World Class Industries.