Point of View

Episode Summary

Host Sarah O'Donnell sits down with SPASH Assistant Principal and CTE Coordinator Brent Gostomski, along with two senior students, John and Wyatt, to talk about the Youth Apprenticeship (YA) program. The conversation covers how students find apprenticeships, what they learn on the job, how employers benefit, and how the program has shaped each student's plans for life after high school.

Guests

• Brent Gostomski - Assistant Principal at SPASH, CTE Coordinator for the district, oversees the Youth Apprenticeship program 

• John - SPASH senior, second-year youth apprentice at AECOM (engineering/drafting)

• Wyatt - SPASH senior, second-year youth apprentice at Ellis Construction

Key Topics

• What is CTE and the Youth Apprenticeship program at SPASH

• How students discover and apply for apprenticeships (posters, Career Center, classroom connections)

• 60 students participated last year; students earn one credit and a wage for completing 450 hours

• What a typical day looks like in each apprenticeship (engineering drafting at AECOM, general construction labor at Ellis Construction)

• How employers benefit - training a future workforce, with some former apprentices still on the job 20+ years later

• The soft skills students gain: communication, problem-solving, adaptability, time management, confidence

• How the experience changed John's path (shifting from civil to mechanical engineering) and Wyatt's path (from structural welding toward pipeline welding)

• Balancing school, sports, and work - how SPASH's scheduling supports student apprentices

Standout Quotes

• "I've made so many mistakes, and each time I learned how to prevent those mistakes in the future... it's all one big valuable learning lesson." - John

• "It wasn't so much a scary experience, but a confidence-building experience that in the future this is something I can do." - John

• "Worth it." - John and Wyatt, on describing apprenticeship in one word

Contact / Get Involved

• Students interested in the Youth Apprenticeship program can visit the SPASH Career Center

• Community businesses interested in participating can reach out to the SPASH Career Center, 715-345-5400 or [email protected], to learn more

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New episodes of Point of View feature conversations with students, staff, families, and community members across the Stevens Point Area Public School District.

What makes a school feel like a place where you belong?

In this episode of Point of View, Sarah sits down with Thomas, a junior at PoDS, to talk about what belonging looks and feels like from a student perspective.

Thomas shares what helped PoDS feel like the right place for him, how teachers can make students feel seen and connected, and why finding common ground matters when students are trying to find their people. He also talks about returning for junior year, the freedom that comes with being an upperclassman, and the teacher who made an immediate impression on him when he first arrived at PoDS.

And, of course, we wrap with a few rapid-fire questions including the best school lunch, late starts and the one word Thomas uses to describe his hope for the year.

In this episode:

• What belonging means to a student

• Finding your people in a new school

• The role teachers play in helping students feel connected

• Why relationships matter in the classroom

• What Thomas is looking forward to during junior year

School is back in session. In this episode of Point of View, we talk with two Plover-Whiting Elementary students about coming back to school. We explore what they’re excited for, what they are nervous about and how they are already thinking about being prepared for junior high.

Featured guests:

• Kinleigh, student, Plover-Whiting Elementary School
• Kenna, student, Plover-Whiting Elementary School

Resources mentioned:

Academic Calendar

Point of View is a podcast from the Stevens Point Area Public School District featuring conversations with students, staff and community members about the people, ideas and experiences shaping our schools.

View a transcript of this episode.