A Look Into School Life Across Different Strands
MLEC offers six different academies, with 23 strands. All of them are unique and correlate in some way to the person choosing them, you!
When entering ninth grade, you make the decision to choose what strand you would like to pick according to your future goals and personal interests, and you even have the opportunity to switch when entering 10th grade if desired.
The strands that students choose influence the classes they take, opportunities they achieve, and skills they leave with.
While it is one school, everyone experiences it differently according to the strand they choose.
Students choose their strands for a variety of reasons. Some reasons include their future career, personalities, family influence, or specific subjects.
“I chose the Pharmacy technician strand because I’ve always been interested in healthcare. I’m organized and super detail oriented, which fits the job perfectly. It stands out from other strands because we focus on real world medical knowledge and safe care, which gives me a huge head start for a healthcare career right after high school,” said junior, Victoria Smith.
In the National Library of Medicine it states how students’ success in handling a heavy workload, is influenced by their personalities which are vital components of their characteristic traits. For example, the Cambridge Academy is associated with the AICE diploma, making its coursework very rigorous. . The three strands included in the Cambridge Academy are: Engineering, Journalism, and Global Studies.
“I do think that those kids who are in Cambridge are those that like to write, and can work independently and self-directed, because a lot of the classes require self-studying, they need to be independent enough to be actively researching. So students who do well are those that can be independent, in control of their own learning to a degree, generally good talkers, presenters, being self-directive, and competitive,” said Cambridge advisor, Michelle Castillo.
Some academies may have a more rigorous workload than others, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that one is better than the other, but rather that one may be better suited to how the students work.
“I picked dental because I’ve always been interested in dental. I feel like it prepares me for the future because we do clinicals, and our teacher gives a lot of information, and we do workbooks. I know I may be more limited class-wise than if I were in a different strand that doesn’t require as much, as we have two classes since they added a dual enrollment class, but I love my strand as it gives me experience for the future,” said sophomore Nailah Or.
However, not everyone chooses their strand simply because of their future career, and some simply choose it because of personal interest and hobbies.
“ To be honest compared to other strands, in my strand I’m really free in it, and I can express myself normally. I chose Commercial art because I really like art and it was the only art strand they had,” said sophomore Isabella Palacious.
While students may enter their strand because of simply liking the classes or because the strand is aligned with their future career, their experiences in their strand help them discover new interests and abilities. In this way, when choosing a strand it goes beyond just an academic decision but a self-discovery journey.
Ultimately, choosing a strand is beyond just selecting classes or what is desired for your future career. While that is a part of it, there is also an opportunity for students to explore their interests, recognize their strengths, and discover the learning environments that suit them. Although every strand offers a different experience, each allows students to pursue their goals and develop skills that will stay with them beyond high school.
