Quick look: Hundreds of students and families attended “Empowering the Future: Internships & Career Exploration” on May 22 at Freedom Hall, which became a hub to explore free career training and internship opportunities through hands-on exhibits and student presentations. The event was co-hosted by Supervisor Janet Nguyen and County Superintendent Dr. Stefan Bean.
Students and families from across Orange County gathered at Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley on May 22 for a hands-on event designed to showcase free career training opportunities and pathways into high-demand industries.
Presented by Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen and County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stefan Bean, “Empowering the Future: Internships and Career Exploration” drew about 400 attendees to Freedom Hall, where interactive exhibits, student panels and local industry representatives highlighted career opportunities in fields such as automotive technology, nursing, fire safety, construction and aviation.
“That’s why we’re here today,” Dr. Bean told the crowd. “To make sure every parent and guardian knows about free programs in our public school system.”
Among the exhibitors were Garden Grove Unified School District’s automotive technology program and Cypress College, which highlighted its automotive and aviation pathways. Golden West College offered insights into nursing careers, while Santa Ana College shared information about its construction apprenticeship program. Also in attendance were Advance Beauty College, the Huntington Beach Fire Department, the Orange County Fire Authority and Republic Services.
Supervisor Nguyen, who co-hosted the event, spoke about the importance of helping students find their own definitions of success.
“Let’s work together,” she said. “Let’s empower every young individual, every young student here, to discover their own success and know that the sky is the limit. Dream it, fight for it, work hard, get it. And when you do, turn around and help the others in the community.”
Real-world problem solving
The event also featured a keynote by Winston Ta, a Pacifica High School graduate and current Cal State Long Beach computer science major who shared how career technical education, or CTE, helped him discover his passion for STEM.
Ta reflected on a series of small programming projects in high school — including apps, games and a body mass index calculator — that allowed him to explore real-world problem solving and gain confidence in his abilities.
“I’ve come to understand that doubt isn’t an inherent weakness,” he said. “It’s part of the process and part of what makes you grow into someone you’ll one day be proud of.”
Too often, Ta said, society measures success through salaries, stock performance and quarterly results rather than well-being, purpose, or pride in work. By chasing instant gratification and quick answers, young people risk missing the deeper value of the messy, challenging path that leads to real fulfillment.
“We aren’t museum paintings collecting dust,” he told the audience. “We’re growing trees that started as a seed.”
Critical thinking, confidence
A panel discussion followed, featuring current and former students who shared how CTE programs helped them explore career interests, develop critical thinking skills and build confidence. Some spoke about finding their direction through business or engineering classes, while others described nontraditional paths, including military service and returning to school later in life.
Organizers say the event was designed to highlight the many ways career technical education can help students earn college credit, gain certifications or prepare for fulfilling careers while still in high school.
“A lot of parents, a lot of students, may still not realize that they take amazing classes in high school — sometimes in their local colleges — and get college credit while still in high school,” said Kathy Boyd, executive director of Career Education and Postsecondary Advancement for OCDE.
“But they’re basically able to do a myriad of things across 15 career sectors,” she said, “and these are all tables where we can talk through and show opportunity and hopefully enroll students in opportunities so they can gain a better sense of who they are and what they want to do during and after high school into their career path.”
The event was presented in collaboration with the Orange County Department of Education, the Garden Grove Unified School District, the Huntington Beach Union High School District, the Fountain Valley School District, the Westminster School District, Golden West College, Cypress College, Fullerton College Career Education and Coastline College.