It’s South Dakota Week of Work Day 4!
Today, we are spotlighting a program that turns student interests into career insights. The Internship class at the Sioux Falls School District’s CTE Academy is where classroom learning meets real-world experiences. And students like Nevaeh are using it to shape their futures in powerful ways!
As a Roosevelt High School senior with a passion for art and design, Navaeh knew she wanted to find a career that could bring creativity and structure together. It was during her sophomore year when a series of hands-on experiences helped her discover a path that checked all the boxes - architecture.
Through job shadows and programs like Career Explorers from the Boy Scouts of America, Navaeh narrowed in on her future. But it was the CTE Academy that truly brought her vision into focus. In her junior year, she took Carpentry I, where she helped build two houses from the foundation up, which gave her an experience that sparked a deeper understanding of the construction process.
Now, as a senior, Navaeh is enrolled in CTE’s Internship class, where she is gaining firsthand experience at TSP, Inc., a local architecture, engineering, and planning firm. At TSP, she is shadowing industry experts and getting a full view of what it means to work in the field.
“This internship has confirmed that this is what I want to do,” she said. “It’s given me real-world experience that goes beyond what a classroom or college lecture could teach me.”
The Internship course isn’t just about placing students in the field. It’s also about preparing them to succeed. Navaeh credits her teachers, Mrs. Schutte and Mrs. Brunken, for helping students build resumes, practice interviews, and build confidence before they step into the workplace.
Beyond the classroom, Navaeh’s involvement with SALSA Club at Roosevelt also helped her see how architecture can be used for good. While volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, she saw the direct impact housing can have on families in need. “That experience showed me that architecture can be more than a job, it can help people,” she said.
As she considers her next steps, possibly attending Southeast Tech or SDSU, Navaeh is excited about where her future may lead. She dreams of someday starting a nonprofit that brings affordable, sustainable housing to communities in need.
Her advice for younger students? “Think about what you enjoy doing, and then use the opportunities given to you, like job shadows and CTE classes, to explore where those interests can take you. You never know what path it could lead you down.”