CCHS students build professional skills through CAPS business program

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

As the end of the school semester nears, Charles City High School students in the Center for Advanced Professional Students (CAPS) program are looking back at what they’ve learned about working in a professional setting.

Now in its second year in Charles City, the CAPS program matches up students with local businesses, giving them an opportunity to develop their professional skills outside the classroom.

The mutually beneficial arrangement gives students the opportunity to gain exposure and experience in a professional environment while the business mentors get an extra set of hands to tackle lower priority tasks that may otherwise not get done.

“I’m happy that this program is around and I get a chance to meet these students and hang out with them once a week,” said Ginger Williams at the Charles City Area Chamber of Commerce.

Two of the five CAPS students this year, juniors Everett Schmitt and Alex Fernandez, have spent a portion of their school time this semester working with Williams, coming in on Wednesdays to help with the marketing of local businesses and events.

“It’s been pretty fun,” said Fernandez.

Working with local businesses on behalf of the Chamber, Schmitt and Fernandez have spent the semester taking pictures and video and turning it into promotional content for social media.

“It’s really nice to have these projects taken care of,” said Williams. “It’s really great marketing for the community.”

Along with getting practice on how to dress and behave in a professional environment, the experience has been eye-opening for the students, learning about all the different businesses and services that operate in the community.

“I thought I knew Charles City better than I did,” said Schmitt.

“There are a bunch of cool things that I’ve never seen before,” said Fernandez.

From working on a design contest to creating a highlight reel from the Pink Friday shopping event, Schmitt and Fernandez said they have built up their professional skills and multimedia skills, becoming more comfortable working with adults in the community and learning how to create and publish social media content.

“Once we figured out what to look for, it was easier to put up there,” said Schmitt.

With two weeks left in the program before the end of the semester, Fernandez and Schmitt are wrapping up their final project, preparing a Christmas itinerary that details all the different things there are to do in Charles City during the holiday season.

“Doing this stuff is really fun,” said Fernandez.