OCDE Executive Director Kathy Boyd and Administrator Kim Goodwin pose with the OC Pathways student ambassadors at the 12th annual OC Pathways Showcase at the OC Fairgrounds. 
A representative from Coastline College shares information on CTE opportunities at the OC Pathways Showcase. 
Kathy Boyd, executive director of career education and postsecondary advancement, introduces attendees to the annual career pathways event. 
Staff from six Orange County school districts led younger students in hands-on activities to help identify their individual strengths and interests through the Camp RIASEC activity led by OC Pathways. (Courtesy of OC Pathways) 
Students and local business partners connect over workforce options at the 12th annual showcase.
Quick look: Students demonstrated automotive, medical, engineering and other career skills at the 12th annual OC Pathways Showcase, an event that brought together more than 1,200 attendees to celebrate the region’s growing network of career pathways opportunities.
More than 1,200 students, families, educators and industry representatives gathered at the OC Fairgrounds last week for the 12th annual OC Pathways Showcase, a countywide event that has grown into a visible demonstration of how classroom learning connects to real-world careers in Orange County.
Now in its second decade, the showcase reflects the scale and reach of career technical education throughout the region. This year’s event featured 58 career pathways available through partnerships among school districts, community colleges, universities and local businesses, giving families and educators a firsthand look at how students apply their skills beyond the classroom. Hands-on exhibits showcased everything from automotive technology students maintaining and restoring vehicles to medical sciences students learning with 3D human anatomy models.
Dozens of local business partners hosted tables, connecting directly with students about internships, mentorships and work-based learning opportunities. Among the regional partners were the Simon Family Foundation’s Simon Builders program, the Orange County Business Council and local workforce boards, which work alongside schools to prepare students for careers before they graduate.
Led by OCDE’s OC Pathways network, representatives from the county’s regional occupational programs, including North Orange County ROP, Coastline ROP, College & Career Advantage, and the Career Technical Education Partnership, joined career education leaders from 14 school districts. Adding to the depth of the showcase, all nine OC community colleges participated, sharing information about their career education programs and the pathways they offer students to continue building skills after high school. Their presence reinforced the connection OC Pathways is building from secondary education through higher education and into the workforce.
Sharing student skills
Just outside the main hall, 27 student teams stood beside prototypes they had spent months developing as part of the annual OC Maker Challenge. Through the Meet the Maker exhibition, students demonstrated how they transformed classroom learning into original, student-designed innovations built to address real needs on their campuses and among their peers.
Among those presenters were Deepali Srinivas and Gianella Rodriguez, CTE engineering students from Trabuco Hills High School. The pair showcased an invention they developed to help pet owners clean up after their dogs, describing a months-long process that included planning, prototyping and testing a product.
“We’ve been brainstorming for months into a product that’s actually convenient, efficient, and we’ve been talking to people who said that they would use it,” Deepali said. “It feels really motivating.”
Both students have been enrolled in their engineering pathway since freshman year, part of a multi-year career pathway that allows them to build technical and collaborative skills over time. Gianella said one of the most rewarding aspects of the showcase was explaining their project to visitors and answering questions about how it works.
Exploring career interests
This year’s event also expanded its reach to younger students through the addition of Camp RIASEC, an interactive exhibit designed to build career awareness well before high school. Led by six participating districts, including Lowell Joint School District, Brea Olinda and Orange unified school districts — the exhibit introduced the RIASEC career exploration framework through six themed campsites. Elementary students and families took part in hands-on activities designed to help identify individual strengths and interests, connecting early talents to potential future career pathways.
“The showcase is a reminder of why this work matters,” said Kathy Boyd, OCDE’s Executive Director of Career Education and Workforce Development. “Twelve years in, we are seeing the results of a regional effort to make career readiness a shared responsibility across schools, colleges, industry and community. When a high school student can stand beside something she designed and built, and explain it to a potential employer, that is the whole model working.”
OC Pathways provides a countywide network supporting collaboration among schools, community colleges, industry partners and regional occupational programs. These partnerships create opportunities for students, from kindergarten to college, to explore careers that align with their interests and the needs of the regional economy.