At Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic High School, students are being provided with thought-provoking Career Development programs aimed at early engagement with companies and employees to have a meaningful impact on how students think about their future.

The “My Path” Speaker series allows panelists to share their background and personal journey with all high school students.

During a recent Government and Law Panel, students heard from attorneys, law enforcement and even the U.S. Secret Service stressing the importance of how today’s actions have future consequences, especially in areas like social media.

On another day, Allegheny Health Network’s resident physicians talked about medical school and their career paths.

Students have even been encouraged by Gene Natali, senior vice president of C.S. McKee L.P. and co-author of “The Missing Semester,” to start thinking about how making good financial decisions at a young age can impact the rest of their lives, especially when it comes to retirement. Yes, we are talking about retirement in high school.

Starting in ninth grade, students have the opportunity to attend a variety of career-based field trips. These based career experiences then transfer over to a personalized Career Action Plan that all students must create.

Through the Career Development program, students constantly are immersed in career exploration with companies and employers. We are taking the fear out of the unknown so that by the time students need to make important decisions, they feel highly prepared and confident.

This article was submitted by Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic High School.