STA Innovation For Our Future

Story by Giorgia Risoldi – Staff Reporter

Summit Technology Academy (STA) is an innovative and advanced experience that prepares high school juniors and seniors for college and career success. 

   “STA offers opportunities for students to obtain dual credit and receive hands-on experience,” Justene Smith, school counselor, said. 

   STA offers five Career Capstone Courses with specific programs for each one of them.

   “The five courses are: Engineering, Computer Science, Health Science, Human Services & Finance, and Arts and Communication,” Smith said. 

   A lot of students from high school decide to learn their career at STA to have a background of what they will learn in college.  

   “I take STA, I take a health class and the purpose for my class is to learn things in the medical field,” Rihanna Ott, senior, said.

   There are also internship opportunities in MIC, STEM, and Cerner Scholars. 

   “STA also offers three different signature programs which are: Accelerated College Programs, Advanced High School Programs, and Career Starter Programs,” Smith said.

   STA provides problem-based and project-based learning to develop advanced skill preparation for most in-demand careers.

   “In my future, I want to work in a medical field, so the classes that I am taking will prepare me for that, and I get to learn all the different workplaces,” Ott said. 

   STA is also connected with international students through a course called Summit International Studies Academy.

   “This course prepares students for interactions with people from diverse cultures and assists students with taking those first steps toward working internationally and/or studying abroad,” Smith said. 

   They also use different methods to make the students practice. 

   “My favorite part is lots of hands-on learning, I feel like you can’t do hands-on learning as much in our school,” Ott said. 

   STA also provides specific practice.

   “With STA I get to go to hospital, I get to shadow and maybe do physical therapy and stuff, so that’s fun, being able to see things,” Ott said. 

   The building for STA is very modern and full of different rooms for each course. 

   “I highly encourage all of my interested students to attend an open house so they can see the building and meet the professors before applying to the program they are interested in,” Smith said. 

   STA is an experience that a lot of people decide to do, it prepares for a future ‘dream job’ for everyone. 

 

Photo by Kaia Monaco- Assistant Editor