More than 50 girls and women visited Southwest Colorado Community College on Friday to look at alternative career choices that in the past have been predominately for men.
The participants attended the career areas of automotive technology, computer technology, metal fabrication and police academy or criminal science investigation in the Expand Your Horizons event.
The goal was to introduce non-traditional career fields to young women by providing them with hands-on exploration in the four career fields.
Most of the students in attendance were from Durango High School while a few from Montezuma County schools attended. There were also a few college students from Cortez that took part in the event.
Cortez Middle School eighth-grader Ketana Matteson said she enjoyed seeing the inside of a computer and learning how all of the parts worked to make it a finished product.
Matteson, who said she attended the seminars at the urging of her parents, said she also liked the automotive technology where students were taught the way to take apart an engine.
“It helped me get more knowledge about other jobs,” she said, but added she still wants to be an obstetrics and gynecology physician someday.
Emily McNeil, 18, who was finishing up her high school career by taking classes at the college, said she attended the seminars because she wanted to know what type of careers there would be for her after graduating.
McNeil attended Southwest Open Charter School from her freshman to junior years and is a Cortez resident.
She attended the welding and computer technology seminars and mentioned the welding seminar was something that intrigued her and is something she might consider as a career choice.
Melvine Cayatineto, 32, a college student and Cortez resident, said at the lunch break that it was interesting to learn a little about the automotive and computer technology fields but was really looking forward to the police academy seminar she was going to attend in the afternoon.
“I want to go into forensics technology,” she said.
Mancos High School freshman Renelle Rodriguez said she really liked that the seminars allowed her do some hands-on activities rather than just listening to someone talking about a certain career field.
“It's going to help me a lot,” she said. “I am not sure what I want to do, but hopefully by the end of the day I will be able to think of some things.”
The program was held in conjunction with La Plata County High Schools and districts in Montezuma and Dolores counties.
Michael Maresh can be reached at michaelm@cortezjournal.com