Chicago Public Schools career training is a gift for underserved communities: Chicago's Next Voices columnist
People are always shocked when I reveal that I am a Percy L. Julian High School grad.
They are even more surprised when I tell them I got my first taste of interviewing, video and audio production lessons at the school in Washington Heights on the South Side.
It finally dawned on me why they're surprised. It's because few people know about the career and technical education programs offered by the Chicago Public Schools. The programs offer students a head start in areas like nursing, entrepreneurship, television broadcasting and gaming. These classes are especially important for teens from underserved communities with scarce resources.
In my sophomore year, I took the first of many TV broadcasting courses at Julian. That was after watching an amazing video put together by seniors there to welcome my freshman class.
Under the guidance of Kimberly Saunders, a passionate and talented instructor with decades of media industry experience, our first lesson began with pre-production. Her dedication and expertise instilled in me a passion for media. I still keep in contact with her, testament to her lasting impact.
We got an overview of how to bring life to an idea or story. And then we learned how to create a production budget, write scripts and set up camera shots.
Joseph Smith, a TV broadcast tech engineer, taught us how to use a DSLR camera and other equipment, including how to operate studio cameras that we had in an actual studio at the school.
After the pre-production process, we moved to production and filming. We learned about the different shots (medium, closeup, over-the-shoulder, etc.), white-balancing, lighting, various microphones (shotgun, lavalier, etc.) and voiceovers.
Next was post-production, getting familiar with editing software like Final Cut Pro X and GarageBand, piecing together footage with transitions and adding titles, background music and other elements.
Having to adhere to project deadlines improved my time-management skills at 16 and prepared me for the future.
Once everyone's projects were exported, we watched them and received a grade and feedback for the next one.
Students in the career and technical education program were enrolled in these classes until we graduated. Each year, we grew from novices to experts — many excelling in production, some discovering a passion for areas like editing or being on camera.
The program gave me the confidence to pursue a career in the media industry, and I had a solid foundation to build on.
The skills and knowledge I gained helped me excel in college and shaped my career.
I am grateful to what I learned at Julian for being able to tell a story in front of or behind the camera, write an article or edit a production. Being versatile in media is not just a skill. It's a necessity.
Chicago's schools have immense potential and talent, and programs like these are key to success.