SUHSD College & Career Readiness

We're excited to welcome our new Visual and Performing Arts Program Manager to the team! With a passion for creativity and a vibrant vision for the future, she will bring fresh energy and inspiration to our programs. We can’t wait to see the amazing work ahead as we continue to grow and celebrate the arts together!

Ms. Currier joins us from National City Middle School where she was an Assistant Principal. She has been in our district for over 20 years and worn many hats that included being Montgomery High School Assistant Principal of Student Activities, English teacher, and former Lancer - Hilltop High School (Class of 2005).

This April, we honor Arab American Heritage Month by recognizing the rich history, culture, and contributions of Arab Americans in science, mathematics, education, and beyond. From groundbreaking discoveries in STEM to advocacy in career readiness, Arab Americans have shaped our world in countless ways. Let’s celebrate their achievements and inspire the next generation to dream big!

🔬 Scientists & Researchers
🧠 Dr. Huda Akil – Neuroscientist researching stress & depression.
🧠 Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha – Exposed the Flint water crisis.
🧠 Dr. Farouk El-Baz – NASA scientist, helped plan Apollo moon landings.

📊 Mathematicians & Engineers

🧮 Dr. George Saliba – Historian of math & Islamic science.

🧮 Dr. Michael DeBakey – Pioneer in heart surgery.

🎓 Career Readiness & Education Advocates
📢 Rami Nashashibi – Workforce & social justice leader.
📢 Dr. Laila Al-Marayati – Advocate for women in healthcare.
📢 Dr. James Zogby – Advocate for Arab American representation.

Pathful Connect is an online platform that connects K-12 educators and students with industry professionals for virtual career exploration and real-world learning experiences. It allows teachers to bring guest speakers, mentors, and career role models into their classrooms through live video interactions. The goal is to help students explore various career paths, develop skills, and gain insights from professionals across different industries.

Would you like more details on how it works or how to use it? Please contact Jessica.sphar@sweetwaterschools.org for integrating into your classroom.

Log into Pathful Connect (via Clever) and access these short lessons into your classroom.

https://app.pathful.com/dashboard

Each lesson provides students with an opportunity to:

Read about the topic

Video Component

Short Self-Reflection Survey around the Topic/Lesson

Short Quiz

Students then submit their progress through the Pathful Portal

Browse Pathful Connect's Click & Go resources. Choose from a variety of options to follow as outlines below or select a few to seamlessly incorporate into your curriculum today. There are resources for Career, Employability, Work-Based Learning, Post-Secondary, and My Tracker.

HawthorneCAT is offering presentations and site tours for high school and college students throughout the school year to educate and promote their Technician Apprenticeship, a CA state-certified registered apprenticeship program that trains for their Hawthorne Technician occupation. Presentations can be scheduled at your sites Mondays through Thursdays (ideally with seniors), or HawthorneCat can host students at their facility in Rancho Bernardo with a tour of the diesel shop.

To sign up your class for a presentation or site tour, educators should email tbanks@hawthornecat.com (cc’d) with the following information:

• School:
• Teacher Name:
• Teacher Phone:
• Class Name(s):
• Grade Level(s):
• # of Students:
• 3 Preferred Dates:
• Preferred Timeframe(s) (start & end time):
• Type of presentation?
• Guest Speaker- HawthorneCAT representative comes and speaks to your class
• Industry Site Visit- Bring a group of students to HawthorneCAT facility

For questions, contact Ernesto Rivera at ernesto.rivera@sdcoe.net and/or HawthorneCAT contact Trisha Banks at tbanks@hawthornecat.com (both cc’d).

Compact for Success is a partnership between Sweetwater Union High School District and San Diego State University (SDSU). The program provides a clear pathway for students to pursue higher education by offering guaranteed admission to SDSU into non-impacted programs for eligible students who meet specified academic criteria. The program is designed to encourage and support students in pursuing college degrees, thereby promoting educational equity and accessibility. This semester, 11th grade students eligible for the Compact for Success have visited SDSU to learn more about campus life and the array of academic programs.

The College & Career Readiness department will continue to support organize these field trips during the second semester.

For additional information please visit our website: https://ccr.sweetwaterschools.org/compact-for-success/

Registration is now open for this year’s Adelante Mujer Conference! Please continue to spread the word and continue to encourage students and families to attend this empowering event. If the site is sending students, they will have to provide their own chaperone. If you have additional questions, please contact your Assistant Principal at your sites.

In this webinar, recorded 3/12/2025, Cal-SOAP explains steps to take in spring of 12th grade, how to narrow down college options, and how to choose the best fit for you.

🎬Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DLUC_7mdKA

🚩Slide Deck:

https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:e0f04c10-bda3-4101-852b-ddf36a7d2160?viewer%21megaVerb=group-discover

The EOP B.E.S.T. Summer Bridge Program is an intensive 5-week residential academic preparation program designed to enhance student educational achievement, timely progress toward a university degree, and a successful transition to SDSU.

Each summer, a select group of new EOP first-year students have the opportunity to get a head start on their college education and experience at SDSU. Students participate in five weeks of intensive academic studies, earning up to seven academic units, enhancing their writing, math, and study skills focused on meeting SDSU’s writing and math competency requirements.

Through this program, students will become familiar with San Diego State University and will build community with other first-generation students from all over California. You will have the opportunity to develop essential educational skills, participate in social and recreational activities, and become familiar with the resources that SDSU has to offer you!

Regarded as one of the nation’s finest summer transitional programs, the EOP BEST Summer Bridge Program at San Diego State University plays a big part in EOP student success by achieving higher grade-point averages and lower academic probation rates than other SDSU students.

📣For Criteria and How to Apply visit the following website:

https://sacd.sdsu.edu/eop/programs/summer-bridge

The California College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) Program at Southwestern College is an Advanced Scholastic and a Career and Technical Education Program that allows high school students in 9th through 12th grade to apply for dual enrollment at Southwestern College (SWC).

Every academic year, over 400 SUHSD students are enhancing their high school education and are earning college credit at the same time, thanks to a unique collaborative effort between the Sweetwater Union High School District, other surrounding charter schools, private schools and Southwestern College.

As part of the CCAP program, students are getting more mileage from after-school classes, like Psychology and Art. These "two-for-one" classes allow students to earn elective credits at the high school level and build up college credits that are transferable to Southwestern College or any University of California or California State University campus. Students accomplish all this without ever leaving their home campus.

College & Career Readiness Department hosts four Zoom Webinars in the academic year highlighting various industries in our local area. This platform allows for our industry panelists, SUHSD students, and parents to join virtually and learn more about what it's like to be in a career/trade.

Next Virtual Career Fair will be on Tuesday April 22, 2025

Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation

Register HERE

For more information and details visit our website linked below:

https://ccr.sweetwaterschools.org/career-night-series/

Sweetwater Union High School District (SUHSD) provides a wide range of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) activities and programs to enhance student learning experiences. STEAM is engaging, hands-on, project with integrated content standards and 21st century industry skills for the common goal of preparing a community of capable and competitive workforce.

Upcoming Events include Math Field Day at Bonita Vista Middle School on April 26, 2025. For more information contact the Math Field Advisor at the school site.

Congratulations to our Greater San Diego Science Fair Winners. Students from Bonita Vista High School, Eastlake Middle School, Eastlake High School, and Chula Vista Middle Schools represented Sweetwater Union High School District and placed. Two of our students (***) Ronald Wyatt from ELH and Abigail Hensley from Chula Vista Middle School qualified for the California State Science Fair.

Thank you to the STEM Fair Advisors Jennifer Eckstein, Amanda Williams, Jennifer Kasem, G. Carillo, and Tina Tom for supporting your students throughout the whole process for both the District STEM Fair and the GSDSF.

Congratulations to Otay Ranch High School, San Ysidro High School, Eastlake Middle School, Rancho Del Rey Middle School, and Mar Vista Academy for making it to the State Championships held in Laverne, CA on March 2025. Otay Ranch High School Mustang Robotics Team 507A made it to the VEX World Championship which will take place in Dallas Texas this May 2025. They will be competing with other robotics teams from all over the world.

We had over 200 students from Otay Ranch High School, Eastlake Middle School, Rancho Del Rey Middle School that toured the USS Somerset at the Naval Base in San Diego last month.

A fun full day of math. Math Field Day will take place at Bonita VIsta Middle School on April 26 2025. Fore more information visit the Math Field Day website linked below:

https://sites.google.com/sweetwaterschools.net/suhsdmath/middle-school/math-field-day/2025-math-field-day

Students had the opportunity to perform for our community. Students will perform in the District's Orchestra, Mariachi Holiday Night, and Holiday Sing. Come and join us in these community events.

San Diego Workforce Partnership

https://workforce.org/jobseekers

Career Centers

https://workforce.org/career-centers/

If you are interested in preparing our students for College & Career, please email us.