McDowell High students in the occupational program are champs at filling out resumes and answering interview questions.

They even have a trophy to prove it.

Kids from the program recently competed in an employability seminar that tested their interviewing and work skill knowledge.

Making regionals was no easy task. To qualify, students had to place high enough in the district employability seminar.

“This was the first time in all six years that we’ve been competing that the kids placed high enough to move on to regionals,” said Exceptional Children’s Teacher Jennifer Croymans. “They worked really hard memorizing different employment strategies. Some of them even created acronyms to remember different skills.”

Students from the group were excited and a little nervous to show their work skills to judges.

“Me and my teammates had to make sure we spoke clearly and concise,” said Kayla Sharp. “We presented on the Titan Greenhouse and told them what was inside and how we plan on using it.”

While Sharp explained the group’s business plan, others answered complicated questions that are common in job interviews. For each answer, students received points, depending on how well they answered them.

“One of the questions they asked me was ‘what are four important interviewing skills?,” said Carol Lutz before rattling off a list of the do’s for job interviews.

Weeks of memorization and planning led to the group’s second-place finish at the regional competition. They credited Croymans and her dedication to the group.

“She spent so much time helping us learn what we needed to,” said Sharp. “She’s always there when we need her the most and it’s great to know that.”

Students are already excited about next year’s competition and hope that they’ll have what it takes to take first place.

For now, their second-place trophy and certificate are proof of all their hard work.