On Wednesday morning a group of 8th-grade students got a glimpse of the road that lies of ahead of them when they begin high school next fall.

Happy Valley High School hosted a special event for 8th graders from Happy Valley Middle School and Central Elementary to highlight the Career Technical Education (CTE) programs available as well as college dual enrollment opportunities.

Garrett McDonald, the school counselor at Happy Valley Middle, helped organize the event to help his students prepare for high school.

“They have Freshman Orientation, and they choose their career path,” McDonald said. “We wanted to get them immersed before they made that decision.”

In years past, McDonald said the first time students were presented information regarding a CTE path or college preparation path was at Freshman Orientation. He hoped the event on Wednesday would allow the students to see all the program and path options available to them to help them make the best decision for their future career.

In middle school, the students are accustomed to being told what classes they will be taking, McDonald said.

“I think they’ve been really surprised,” McDonald said after the event concluded on Wednesday. “To have the options of taking things that interest them has opened their eyes and made them excited for high school and hopefully their careers.”

On Wednesday, the students visited the welding, business, EMS, CNA, agriculture, electrical, aviation, and criminal justice programs at Happy Valley and learned a little about each CTE path from the instructors. The students also learned about the CTE programs at other schools which are available to them through the school system’s transport program.

The students also learned about the dual enrollment opportunities at Happy Valley High School which allow them to earn college credit while still in high school. Happy Valley partners with four area colleges — Milligan College, Northeast State Community College, East Tennessee State University, and Tusculum College — and provides more than 25 dual enrollment class offerings for the students.

“We are one of only a few schools in the state to offer that many dual enrollment classes,” said Dr. Diana Bowers, the Assistant Principal at Happy Valley High. “The groups entering now will be able to graduate with an Associates Degree at the same time as they get their high school diploma.”

Bowers said the dual enrollment opportunities are open to all students, regardless of what career path they have chosen. The program is also supported through grant funding to assist the students, and she encourages all of the students at the school to take advantage of the free dual enrollment opportunities.

“We have it set up to where they can get four classes for free,” Bowers said. If the students want to take advantage of more than four dual enrollment classes, the school will help them access their Tennessee Promise or Tennessee Hope Scholarship money to take those classes.

“I’m really proud of what we are doing at Happy Valley,” Bowers said.

Freshman Orientation at Happy Valley High School is set for April 10 at 6 p.m. at the school.