Schools

16 Bloom Trail Seniors Nail Their Exit Interviews

The culmination of a year-long process involving portfolio work and an exit interview for 16 Bloom Trail High School seniors resulted in perfect scores. The year-long project is used to help students prep for the job force and college.

Graduating from high school can be a challenging time for anyone. Awaiting college application responses, an uncertain job market and just the general unknown can stress even the most level-headed seniors. To prep for the next step in life, Bloom High School District seniors take their entire senior year to focus on their future, with their senior year portfolio and exit interviews.

“The portfolio includes, resume, potential job applications, student work, that type of thing that they work on throughout the year.,” said Rhonda Israel, Assistant Superintended for Bloom High School District 206. “The interview is the last step in the process and the culminating event.”

The graded project and interview tests students with resume writing, cover letters and other job skills, along with a final in person interview with a 'potential employer.' This year, sixteen Bloom Trail seniors not only passed the process with flying colors, they nailed it with perfect scores. The 16 seniors were: Monty Fason, Dejahown Freeman, Celeste Garcia, Keywon Guice, Elaine Hackney, Michelle Hensley, Tierra Hoover, Dante Jones, Kayla Keyes, Nick Kozlowski, Alexis Mendez, Lisa O'Brien, Randall Peterson, Nia White, Jeffrey Woodward, and Lonnisha Wright.

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Be sure to check out the Bloom Trail photo gallery of the exit interview process.

During the interview process, students must decide on one of four careers at Best Buy, which they then 'apply for.' They are then called in for an interview at the school, with students being graded on their interview skills.

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“They go through a simulated interview experience with teachers and administrators,” she said. “Then they are scored on the various areas, like their portfolio, their presentation, if they ask questions, things like that. We want to simulate the interview experience for them as best we can."

While Bloom Trail seniors have already completed the interview process, Israel said that Bloom High School students will begin the task May 1, through the end of the week.

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