During high school, students need to give a serious look and consideration at what they might want to pursue for a career after their education is complete. Beginning on the right path to a career that matches their interests and abilities can save them time and money and prevent them from going down the wrong path or pursuing post-secondary education that does not match their career interest. Participating in a Foundational SAE can provide the guidance students need to be on the path that best suits them.

In my Freshman agriculture class, I allow students to explore careers unrelated to agriculture so they can learn about a career they are interested in based on prior experiences and knowledge.

One of the first assignments in their Foundational SAE is to compose and send an email to someone in their career field of interest. In this email, they ask specific questions about the career, such as what skills are needed and the starting wage or salary. Along with receiving useful information, students learn how to write a professional email that is more likely to receive a response. From the email response, students select five facts about preparing for the selected career and develop a potential budget based on the starting income. Most of my students come to a realization that further education, specific skills, and additional experiences are important to achieve their chosen career path. They are also exposed to challenges they may experience before accomplishing their chosen career. Additionally, they find out how they might need to spend their income and that they may not be able to afford everything they want when they first enter the career. When encouraging students to explore potential career paths, earlier is better!