From firefighting drills to cybersecurity demos and cosmetology makeovers, Pima County high school students put their future careers on display last weekend during Pima JTED’s annual program showcase, giving families a hands-on look at the skills and pathways students are building before graduation.

The Jan. 24 event featured 32 programs, giving current students the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned and prospective students a clearer idea of available career paths.

Pima JTED, or the Joint Technical Education District, provides students with hands-on opportunities in career-focused programs designed to prepare them for the workforce.

Nineteen of those programs are offered at JTED’s two-story Innovative Learning Center, located at 3300 S. Park Ave.

Mel Randall, a student in the cosmetology program, was among those excited to showcase her work at Saturday’s event.

“In the cosmetology program, we learn about hair, skin, and nails,” she said. “We learn theory, we learn basic practice skills, and we have a full-service salon that anyone can come in.”

Raytheon employee Jason Pototsky oversees JTED’s artificial intelligence and cybersecurity programs and attended the showcase to explain the program’s scope.

“The cybersecurity program is a two-year program geared toward getting students into the job field in cybersecurity,” he said. “At the end of it, they leave with, if they pass, a Security+ certification, that gets them right in the door working for either health care or DOD, since that's an entry-level requirement for those positions.”

Pototsky said the program introduces students to the Linux operating system and the Python programming language.

Other programs highlighted hands-on training in public safety fields. While her fire service classmates demonstrated how to unroll a fire hose, Victoria Garcia Cruz spoke about JTED’s sense of community.

“I'd say my favorite part about JTED, not to sound corny, but I think the community,” she said. “The community is really important here because you don't want to be somewhere where you don't feel like you fit in, or somewhere you don't like being because it seems like you have no friends there, you know? Everyone here in my program specifically is really sweet.”

Garcia Cruz said that sense of support helps keep her grounded.

“There are days where I go into JTED, and I feel bummed out, and I just leave so happy because everyone there is so nice and they're so funny,” she said. “It's basically like family, … but it's truly a beautiful thing.”

Ryo Wigginton, a student in the law, public safety and security program, said the curriculum covers law enforcement, the role of a lawyer, psychology and crime scene investigation.

“I joined the program because I'm really interested in criminal psychology, and I wanted to become a criminal profiler,” he said. “That is actually one of the units that we've done so far. It's really entertaining.”

Sophia Lee, a student in the early childhood education program, said her favorite part of JTED is working with Little Lions, a daycare and skills-instruction site connected to Mountain View High School.

“I love having that opportunity, especially since I … work in the preschool,” she said. “That was my first job, and it's just a great experience. It's a way for me when I go into … a career later, I can be like, hey, this is my job.”

Deborah Kresal, an employee and instructor with Little Lions for eight years, said the daycare pairs preschoolers with high school students in the early childhood education program as part of their hands-on experience.

“Almost everybody says the thing they love the most is the buddy days, and during our buddy days, we set up different things for them to go through. We try to have something that's kind of a movement fun, movement activity, maybe something that's got creative art, and then maybe another science or something else, and they really just get to make that connection with them,” Kresal said. “The preschoolers love their buddies, and they look forward to it so much. We all wear our matching t-shirts that day, and it's just a really great bonding day.”

Beyond early childhood education, the showcase also highlighted programs focused on health and human services.

“We are a program that prepares students to enter the mental health field. A lot of our students will pursue college degrees in, like, social work, psychology, pre-nursing to be a psychiatric nurse practitioner in the future,” said instructor Maeve Sielawa, who started the social and mental health technician program. “Or they can enter at an entry-level position, such as … behavioral health techs.”

Student Frida Gomez said her favorite part of the program has been the in-depth learning about mental disorders and how to use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

“You learn about mostly every disorder,” Gomez said.

Student Janae Pool said the program has helped her excel in college courses and feel more prepared for hands-on work.

“I really understood a lot of the material and understand a lot of what I'm doing in college because of the program,” she said. “I really think it helped me ... understand not only what I wanted to do, but kind of prepared me … for what I'm going to be doing hands-on.”

Nya Belcastro is a University of Arizona student and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at nya2005@arizona.edu.

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