WMBB News 13 - The Panhandle's News LeaderRutherford Program Paves Path for Future Teachers

Rutherford Program Paves Path for Future Teachers

As senior in high school, choosing the right career path can be a difficult decision. College is a way for students to find a career that best suits them, but thanks to a Rutherford High School Program, some students are figuring that out now.  

Four days a week, Rutherford senior Jessicca Wiekmen has a different schedule then the typical high schoolers. Yes, she spends her whole day at school but on two different campuses, one where she learns and one where she teaches. 

"I've done kindergarten for two years now, I love kids," Wiekmen said. 

It's part of Rutherford High School's Youth Tutoring Youth (YTY) Program. Wiemken is one of 28 high schoolers doing the 100-hour internship at the participating partner schools, which are Parker Elementary, Chapman Head Start Center, Cedar Grove Elementary and Springfield Elementary.  

"If you are wanting to be a teacher I would recommend going through this program because it will open your eyes to what you want to do," Wiekmen added.  

She is learning the tricks of the teaching trade from Parker Elementary Kindergarten teacher Keziah Robinson, who she herself, went through the program. 

"A lot of things that my YTY supervising teacher passed down to me I pass down to her," Robinson said. "You see first hand things that go on in the day, you will see that a teacher may have a lesson plan and she has thing that she wants to do but you have to be flexible because things come out unexpectedly throughout the day." 

It's that added experience inside the classroom that you can't really learn out of a textbook and it might be something that theses high schoolers can use to set them apart from applying for jobs in the future. 

"That actually turned to be in my benefit because in my first year teaching I was hired as a 1st grade teacher," Wiekmen added. 

And administrators say they do look at that experience when hiring. 

That always helps it looks good on a resume," said Parker Elementary Administrative Assistant Cynthia Black. 

Once finished, Rutherford's Career and Technical Education Program students may qualify for the Gold Seal Florida Scholarship through Bright Futures, which pays for 75% of college tuition.