The Guam Community College's CONVERGENCE Trades Showcase drew high school students, prospective college students, working adults and others interested in exploring career and technical pathways that can lead to rewarding careers without following the traditional four-year college route.
The event, themed “Find Your Path, Shape Your Future,” encouraged career exploration through interactive, hands-on experiences. Nita Cepeda, GCC's visual communications instructor and adviser for the event, said the showcase promotes GCC's trades programs.
“Because when you go to a community college, you're not sure what you want to do, so what we're doing right here is just promoting our HVAC, our automotive, our cosmetology that's really popular and AutoCAD. And just to show these kids there's more than just going into the academics,” Cepeda said.
Cepeda said GCC is a leader in career and technical workforce development and that the event recognizes that a rewarding career does not always require a four-year degree.
“Because these guys are trades, they make a lot of money. So, if you're a new student, if you're just coming back, if you want maybe a career move, or a certification into what you're already doing, come back, see what we've got, and let's find your path to a new future,” she said.
Event coordinator and CONVERGENCE Director Hanz Mercado echoed Cepeda's sentiments.
“You don't have to go your traditional route of going to accounting, or marketing, or what have you. There are other opportunities here at GCC that you can get your hands on,” Mercado said.
The event was organized by students in GCC's Visual Communications 291 Project Management course under the Business and Visual Communications Department. It brought together students from advertising, visual communications and other courses to apply their classroom skills to a real-world community event.
