CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — When searching for that one career you’re passionate about, there are many things to consider. Sometimes finding the proper guidance to that career path can be tough to come by.
However, there’s a new tool that is designed to help ease the process. If you were thinking about becoming a mechanic, environmentalist, or even a first responder, Coastal Bend College is stepping in with a little virtual look.
“Since I did that, it started making me think what I actually want to do with my life,” said Miller H.S. Junior Gabriel De la Cruz.
De la Cruz says he participated with the hands-on simulation TRANSFRVR which led him to a career choice he could see himself doing.
“I’ve recently been doing some research and I plan on going to the Army to be a firefighter now because of the goggles I tried on,” said De la Cruz.
The virtual experience offers real-life situations within various career options such as manufacturing, hospitality, or even public safety.
“The main goal is for students to be exposed to more career options, to make them seem more feasible, so when you perform a task and a career you realize how obtainable that career is for you and it opens more horizons and you also learn a skill while doing so,” said Coastal Bend College director of Workforce Development & Continuing Education, Braden Becknell.
TRANSFRVR with Coastal Bend College partnered with Corpus Christi Independent School District so students can have guidance to a potential career.
“So we’ve had students ask questions..., they go through carpentry, learn how to use a saw and their next question is, ‘what else can I do with this?’ [whether] that be enter in the workforce in that career or to do that as a hobby,” said Becknell.
While this can all encourage young minds to a brighter future.
“It’s pretty realistic and it felt like, it pushed me to do something I wanted to do,” said De la Cruz.
Administrators at Miller High School say students continue to gravitate to this virtual experience and workers with the Coastal Bend College are looking to expand, reaching out to more schools in the South Texas area.
