CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - Many students start college without a clear direction, but San Juan High School senior Luis Garibay knows exactly what he’ll be studying at UC Berkeley: civil engineering. “One of my goals is to one day use my skills to help underrepresented communities,” he said.

Garibay, who always enjoyed the math and science curriculum at Woodside K-8, developed an early interest in engineering since it involves his two favorite subjects. At San Juan High, he fine-tuned his goals and developed practical skills in the Construction Technology Pathway of the Career Technical Education program.

“Since I was able to participate in a lot of cool opportunities, I was able to understand what type of engineering I would like to do, which is civil engineering,” said Garibay.

Those opportunities included learning how to use design software, such as AutoCAD, and operate machinery, including laser cutters, to build projects with classmates.

For Garibay, the highlight of the three-year pathway was earning a summer internship with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District in 2018. “I was able to job shadow with civil engineers, which provided me with first-hand exposure into the nature of engineering,” he said. “I was even able to help them design an electrical grid, which was an amazing experience.”

On his way to becoming the 2019 valedictorian and a first-generation college student, Garibay often sacrificed sleep and time with his family. During his senior year, he juggled five Advanced Placement classes, including an after-school AP Calculus course. But San Juan High’s college-readiness program, Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), provided him with a one-on-one calculus tutor and helped him manage his goals and priorities.

“We developed an AVID family,” said Garibay, who started AVID in eighth grade. “Sometimes I was very tired and my classmates would see it, but they were always supportive. Sometimes they saw that I was too involved in school. They were like, ‘Come on, we’ve got to go out. Distract yourself a little bit.’”

After Garibay gained admission to the university he’d set his sights on as a freshman, his classmates joined in his celebration. “We all knew that this was his dream — he got into his dream school and he worked and he deserves it,” said AVID Coordinator Robin Durkee. “He’s the kind of kid that I know is going to make a difference and change the world.”

Garibay, who aspires to work for the State of California and build housing solutions for communities in need, appreciates the encouragement he received throughout his high school years. “I feel like whatever my passion, San Juan has never rejected it,” he said. “They have always provided a way for me to accomplish it.”

There have been many students who have entered directly into the workforce as a result of completing a Career Technical Education pathway in San Juan Unified. The goal is to have students earn an industry-recognized certification that shows potential employers the student has mastered certain skills required for employment.  Examples are ASE Automotive certifications in areas such as brakes, alignment and transmissions. Students in the Medical Careers pathway prepare for and take the national exam for medical assisting, which is honored throughout the United States.

“CTE programs are designed to prepare students to enter directly into the workforce upon completion of the pathway, if desired. However, each pathway can also be continued at the post-secondary level. We currently have many of our CTE classes that are either articulated with community college classes, or offered through dual enrollment, which gives high school students college credits while still in high school.”