CLEARLAKE — An assembly was held at Burns Valley Elementary School (BVES) Tuesday in an effort to encourage continued education. The students were treated to a monster truck demonstration by Epidemic Motorsports and Straight Up Racing to begin the day.
“Graduating high school is not the final step in education and this is the first step toward showing the kids what they can do with a few more years of school,” Vice Principal Chris Shoeneman said. “We want to raise the bar on the education standard. No longer will the kids feel like high school is the end. There are other alternatives: apprenticeships, two-year and four-year tech schools and the Armed Forces. These are all brighter outlooks than just settling with a high school diploma. Our job is to show the kids the pathways to their dreams.”
Students gathered in front of the school in anticipation of the arrival of the special guests. At the sound of the first revving engine the students” excitement heightened. Four big trucks pulled onto Austin Road and drove into the BVES grounds and parked machines in front of the multi-purpose room. The students gathered around the shiny monsters as Principal Terin Benson talked to them about the trucks and the importance of higher education. After turning the program over to the drivers, the men spoke to the students about how they should never give up on their dreams.
“This has been a dream of mine since I was a kid and I”m finally making it a reality,” Donald Epidendio, who is a Lower Lake High School (LLHS) graduate, said. “All because I wanted to learn more about what it took to get this far and because I never gave up.”
Shoeneman said that BVES staff recognizes the importance of exposing students to a variety of career options. He said the assembly was focused on linking the LLHS automotive program to post-secondary technical and trade schools, such as UTI and Wyotech, and into careers that are rewarding and fun. “It is very important to the staff at BVES that all students understand and pursue some sort of post-secondary education whether it be a junior college, tech/trade school, private college, state university or hands-on apprenticeships,” he said. “While obvious career models exist such as teacher, doctor or lawyer, we were able to bring in a more unusual career and discuss how schooling and post-secondary education is required for all types of careers and life pursuits. We are also blessed to have great community member who want to give back to and inspire our students.”
Shoeneman said the students” response was encouraging. “I had students coming up to me, telling me what they wanted to be when they grow up,” he said. “It is very positive and rewarding to hear students talk about their futures and dreams and this was a perfect occasion for us to start that conversation with our students.”
