Manchester High School program prepares students for workforce

Apr. 6—MANCHESTER — Manchester High School has started two new programs intended to prepare students for their post-graduation lives.

Juniors completed one of their requirements this week by attending a mock job interview with volunteers from local businesses and organizations.

Students sat down and had one-on-one conversations with professionals who evaluated their interview skills.

Ashlee Moore, an insurance agent at a local State Farm office, said she was impressed with the candidates.

"These interviews have been better than some of the last ones I've had in my office," Moore said.

Moore said she expected her interviewees to be more nervous and shorter with their answers, but she ended up struggling to find areas for students to improve on.

MHS Principal Katelyn Miner said the mock interviews are a new requirement for juniors, and represent one of the opportunities the school system provides to help students navigate their future.

"I think high schools tend to focus on a four-year college path or vocational path," Miner said, "The benefit of MHS is you can do anything here."

Lindsey Kent, a dietician with ShopRite, said communication skills and presenting oneself confidently are "core staples" across any professional scenario.

"Having confidence is so important, being confident in what you're saying and what your strengths and weaknesses are," Kent said.

MHS junior Zoe Evans said she was nervous coming in to her mock interview since school officials stressed its importance.

"I've been on a few job interviews," Evans said, "I've never been in something like this for school."

Evans said she felt calm during the interview and that the interviewer noted her confidence.

MHS junior Owen Austin said he felt prepared going in, as he had experience with other job interviews and the fact that there was no real opportunity at risk. That let him try new strategies he may not have done otherwise, he said.

"It was a good way to test my skills and see how well I would actually do," Austin said.

Brooklyn Gore, another junior, said her mock interview where real questions were asked and answered was more involved than the interview for her current job.

"They called me on the phone and were like, 'do you wanna work here?'" Gore said of her after-school job in the Buckland Hills mall area.

Gore said she felt the assignment would be good for students who haven't had interviews and may not be as open in conversation.

Another graduation requirement meant to prepare students for the workforce is the new "senior story," Miner said.

Miner said the project is the school's response to a new state requirement for a "25th credit," established in 2019 that grants a student's diploma.

Miner said other schools have implemented the requirement through capstone projects, but the intention of the senior story is for graduates to demonstrate that they can succeed beyond high school in a more comprehensive way.

Last week, each senior presented to educators an overview of their strengths, how they've grown since freshman year, and where they see themselves post-graduation.

Miner said communicating strengths is a necessary lifelong skill, but something that many people shy away from.

"Kids, and a lot of adults, aren't really comfortable talking about their strengths," Miner said.

Miner said students are given space to present themselves in a unique way. Some seniors brought in musical instruments or paintings, while others discussed their stuffed math notebooks or how they helped support their families.

"We need to highlight for students that these are fantastic things they're doing," Miner said,

Miner said the mock interviews this week could also help juniors determine how prepared they are to communicate their personal history as part of the senior story.

"We see this as necessary for kids, but also a formative moment," Miner said.

Miner said the senior story program was piloted for two years, and the school-wide launch follows years of work from educators and students alike.

"We've learned a lot in the past year, too," Miner said, adding that the program will likely continue to change.

Joseph covers Manchester and Bolton for the Journal Inquirer.