Page 20 - Voices 2024-10

Toastmasters in the Community

Nurturing Brighter Tomorrows:

A Journey in Career-Connected Learning

Penny Jahraus

the transformative power of teaching.
Embarking on a journey in Career- Guiding individuals to conquer their
Connected Learning isn’t just about fears and acquire life-saving skills
shaping futures; it’s fueled my passion for
about empowering education. Then for
dreams. As the 30 years, as a Literacy
Director of and ESL Teacher
Career-Connected (at elementary,
Learning at the middle school and
South Metro-Salem community college
STEM Partnership, levels), I helped
I am privileged children, youth and
to play a pivotal adults read, write, and
role in bridging communicate more
the gap between fluently in English.
education and the
workforce. In this Along the way, I talked
role, I facilitate with most of those
opportunities to students about the
inspire educators careers they might be
and their students, good at in their future.
igniting passions We would brainstorm
that lead to what steps they might
meaningful careers. take to set themselves
In today’s world, up for success to
STEM - Science, pursue those career
Technology, ideas. I also witnessed
Engineering, the disparities faced
or Math - is by many adult
fundamental in learners, particularly
every profession. immigrants with
rich professional
As a youth, I knew I backgrounds. It was
wanted to empower disheartening to see
others to reach their qualifications
their goals, a calling that has guided me lost in translation, but it was also
throughout my own career in education. inspiring to watch them reinvent
My journey began as a lifeguard in their careers from scratch or explore
high school, where I got a taste for

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