Sheldon, Iowa — This Monday is the 60th Anniversary of Northwest Iowa Community College.
One of the big events recently at NCC was their annual Eighth Grade Career Days on April 17th. College officials tell us over 1,400 eighth-grade students from 28 northwest Iowa schools gathered at NCC on Friday.
Designed to introduce students to a wide range of career opportunities, the event focused on helping young learners begin thinking about their futures through hands-on exploration and meaningful conversations with industry professionals. Throughout the day, students rotated through sessions featuring 59 career exploration booths and 137 presenters representing a wide variety of fields. Professionals shared insights, demonstrated tools of the trade, and engaged students in hands-on experiences. From nursing and advanced manufacturing to law enforcement, entrepreneurship, aviation, and human services, students explored both traditional and emerging career pathways—all with strong connections to opportunities available in northwest Iowa.
Brenda Sandbulte, Career Academy & Exploration Coordinator at NCC says it was an exciting day. She says that whether a student was seeing how high a welding score they could get at the Diversified Technologies booth or feeling a pig’s heart, it seemed like the students were engaged and truly interested. She says she provided some activities for students to use as they visited the booths, and the feedback from both the counselors and presenters was very positive.
Sandbulte says that the student reflections overwhelmingly show that students saw the Career Day as more than just a day out of school; they saw it as a chance to learn about careers they are familiar with and those they didn’t even know existed.
NCC President, Dr. John Hartog tells us the eighth graders came from all over.
Northwest Iowa Community College officials say the college extends its appreciation to the many business and industry partners, educators, and volunteers who made the day possible. They say their willingness to share their time and expertise plays a critical role in helping students connect their interests to future career pathways.
KIWA Staff Photo
