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When students get the chance to step out of the classroom and into real-world experiences alongside professionals, amazing things happen. This year, FuturesNW, a Ready WA coalition member, co-coordinated three Learning with Leaders: Career Explore events, bringing students across Whatcom and Skagit Counties face-to-face with future career possibilities.
From practicing clinical skills and building circuits to seeing what it’s like to work in cybersecurity or nursing, students got a taste of in-demand pathways and the confidence to see themselves in those futures.
Ready WA at Whatcom Community College 🚀
We were thrilled to join the final event of the year at Whatcom Community College (WCC). Students explored nine engaging workshops, from Medical Assisting to Accounting to Criminal Justice, each co-led by a WCC instructor and an industry partner.
Students didn’t just sit and listen to presentations. They simulated medical procedures, checked out a server room, and talked with professionals who do these jobs every day. They also built connections with colleges and employers during a lunch-time resource fair.
One student shared: “The hands-on experience was fun and made it more interesting. It helped me understand how much I truly want to help people and save lives.”
Events like this show students what’s possible and help them take real steps toward their goals.
Hope for the Future
After the event, students’ “Hope Scores,” a measure of their future confidence and direction, increased by an average of 4.2 points. Research has shown that higher Hope Scores correlate with increased academic persistence, enrollment, and completion rates.
This is what happens when communities, schools, colleges, and industry partners come together to make career exploration real and accessible.
A Big Thank You
Ready WA is proud to spotlight this inspiring work by FuturesNW, Bellingham Technical College, Skagit Valley College, Whatcom Community College, and our community partners. Special thanks to North Sound ACH, the lead sponsor for this year’s Learning with Leaders series.
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