An Insight to The CTE Program: Certifications and Licensing through CTE

Ananya Sirigineedi, Samuel Rainey, and Phillip Soliz|February 23, 2022

Frisco Independent School District’s (FISD) Career and Technical Education (CTE) center offers students a myriad of programs to enrich their high school experience, and prepare them for their future careers. 

The programs range from medical courses such as Medical Microbiology, to STEM courses such as engineering and public safety courses such as Law, Public Safety, Correction and Security, and many more, allowing students to choose from multiple career pathways. 

According to Medical Microbiology teacher Lynee Mercadel, CTE courses help students enrich their high school and future careers by providing them with purposeful and real world experiences.

“These classes come with lots of labs or clinicals, so you get that real world application,” Mercadel said. “You get to actually work in the lab, actually get to work at the fire station, work in the hospital, and so on. [You’ve done all the work] in your previous classes, now you can actually do the hands-on part.”

These courses also help students get a better understanding of what they would like to do in their future careers, helping them finish their college education faster and with a clear goal.

“The CTE courses are very career based,” Engineering student Avantika Kandadi said. “So there is a lot of trouble shooting involved, which helps me gain [problem solving skills] that help me solve problems back at home and [in] my [everyday life].” 

The CTE program goes above and beyond regular high school courses by having teachers who were once directly involved with the careers they teach, such as Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security teacher Jim R. Morrison.

Seniors Vaishnavi Rayalwar and Jessica Hong in the CTE Health Science classroom

“You’re exposing young people to the work itself,” Morrison said. “I’m retired from the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives), so [I’m] not just teaching from a curriculum, not just teaching from a powerpoint, [I’m] letting them know what it’s really like.”

Students can learn more about CTE courses by visiting the FISD website, and by attending the interactive open house that provides them with all the information about the courses provided, and allows them to actually visit the CTE center first hand.

“Knowledge is power.” Morrison said. “I want my students, and I know [all CTE teachers] feel the same way, to have an educated decision. What do you want to do with the rest of your life? What should you expect from that career? That’s why we are here. We are teaching these students what to expect.”