Above: Our Carpentry II students and the sauna they built. Two saunas are now FOR SALE!
Get warm and stay warm for $5,500.
Fall Career Field Trips
Click HERE to view more photos.
Student Spotlight: Freya Midthun
My experience in Career Launch helped me get the job I wanted in the career field I am interested in. I learned how to boost myself by creating a professional resume, developing interviewing skills, earning my OSHA 10 certification, and generally advancing from high school energy to a more professional person. Now I am working at Grillium as a cook.
Freya had done a great job of exploring her career interests in high school through her course selections. For awhile she was interested in education and working with young people, which led her to take Psychology of Childhood and Exploring Education. It wasn't until she took Introduction to Culinary Arts, that the fit seemed right. She fell in love with learning the mother sauces, making pasta from scratch, and baking. As part of the course, she spent time learning about personal hygiene, sanitation, and food window times through ServSafe. In the end she earned her ServSafe certification, an indusry recognized credential that helped her land the job at Grillium. Whether she continues to develop her skills working in restaurants or pursues a culinary program, Freya knows that her future will include doing what she loves, preparing food for others!
Teacher Spotlight: Jody Ryan and Traci Johnson
HOSA (Future Health Professionals) Advisors
HOSA gives our students the opportunity gain knowledge and experiences related to their interest in a healthcare career, they are also building their leadership skills. Students in HOSA are exposed to a lot of healthcare scenarios and hands-on experiences. The more you can do, the more you can get your hands on, the more you can rule out and have a better idea of what fit is right for you.
In a little over a year, our HOSA Student Club has grown from a brand new club to one serving 50 students with more growth on the horizon. Students participating in HOSA have access to a wide range of valuable experiences, including competing in events at Midwinter Leadership Conference to attending the Fall International Leadership Conference. In December, we were able to send five students to Camp Ripley to attend the Medical Reserve Corps. Students spent three days learning and practicing emergency response skills. HOSA students also give back to their community by volunteering at Suite Living, a senior assisted living facility where they help lead activities and programs. It is still our students who greatly benefit through this relationship by having the opportunity to interact and learn from some of the elderly members of our community.
Alumni Spotlight: Jack Walde - 2021 FLAHS Graduate
Forest Lake’s business resources gave me a great foundation of business knowledge and taught me skills that put me ahead of my peers in college to compete for internships and jobs. The opportunity to be involved in DECA taught me how business is conducted in our state, showed me a realistic trajectory for what success looks like and helped me form the mindset necessary to chase my goals. Not to mention, the college courses offered like AP & CIS classes allowed me to graduate a semester early from Carlson and helped me know what to expect out of college courses.
Jack has been good at leveraging opportunities for a long time. Since he was a high school student taking our Ranger U business and AP courses, earning his Microsoft Office Certifications, and further developing his leadership skills as a DECA (Preparing Emerging Leaders and Entrepreneurs) state participant, he was a seeker of opportunities. Those experiences in high school led to him earning a degrees in Supply Chain and Marketing from the Carlson School of Management at the University of MN. Jack was able to graduate in 3.5 years because of the college credits he earned at FLAHS. From his early years as a student at Carlson, Jack was able to earn valuable internship experience at Eagle Brook Church, Coca-Cola, and the Minnesota Vikings in social media & marketing roles. Today Jack is a Sourcing Analyst at Boston Scientific. He encourages today's high school students to work on developing skills in AI prompting and research, Excel & Powerpoint, and data analysis to be successful in the MN business environment.
Partner Spotlight: Washington County CDA
Community Development Agency
“I continue to be impressed by the school districts in Washington County and how eager teachers are to find career opportunities for students,” says Chris Eng, Economic Development Director for East Metro MSP. “Our local businesses also deserve to be celebrated for their willingness to open their doors and invite them in."
“Programs like EXCITE (workforce readiness initiative) strengthen our workforce by connecting education and industry,” said Commissioner Fran Miron, District 1. “When teachers understand what employers need, students are better prepared for careers that support both their futures and our county’s economy.”
The Washington County CDA has become a tremendous partner to Forest Lake Area High School's Career Launch program. The partnership is a natural fit, as we both work to serve our community and businesses by meeting workforce demands. Over the past year, the CDA has helped:
- Bring industry and teachers together to learn from one another, focusing on our employability skills.
- Provide students certification opportunities, including access to Microsoft Office and Adobe credentials.
- Support teacher externship opportunities, which give staff the opportunity to experience and learn from a variety of career fields.
Are you interested in supporting our Career Launch Programming: Upcoming opportunities...
- Ag Day is May 8. Do you want to share information about your business or school as it relates to the world of agriculture? Sign up on this form or email Veronica Ward at vward@flaschools.org.
- Career Exploration Day is May 14. Save the date! Registration information will be sent out in March.
- Teacher Externships will be offered to our staff this summer. Do you want to host a group of teachers for a 1/2 or full day? Email Mike Miron at mmiron@flaschools.org