For the City Times

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – Mid-State Technical College hosted its annual College Camp on June 14 on its Wisconsin Rapids campus.

A College Camper proudly displays the flower she welded in the Welding workshop at College Camp on June 14. (Photo: Mid-State)

The day-long event let students entering grades six through eight this fall explore careers with three hands-on workshops of their choice. This year’s workshops included Accounting, The MIKE mobile lab (advanced manufacturing), Cosmetology, Corrections & Community Advocacy, Criminal Justice-Studies, Early Childhood Education, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Protection Technician, IT Network Specialist, Nursing, Phlebotomy Technician, Urban Forestry Technician and Welding.

Participants had the opportunity to experience what they might enjoy in a career, as well as what they might want to avoid.

“I learned that I do not want to pursue a career in Phlebotomy—yuck,” said one young camper. “But I was surprised that I enjoyed welding—I got to make a cool metal birdhouse.”

College Camp is a legacy event at Mid-State going back 25 years and growing each year in participants, program offerings or new workshops. In the new MIKE mobile lab for advanced manufacturing (The MIKE) this year, campers were able to design their own plastic logo shape of the state of Wisconsin for use as a key chain or charm, producing a product from inception and design to consumer/end user.

“We want students to understand that there are exciting career opportunities right in their back yard that lead to high-paying, in-demand jobs and that getting to that career starts right at Mid-State,” said Jackie Esselman, Mid-State’s high school outreach coordinator and organizer of the event.

For more information about Mid-State’s programs, visit www.mstc.edu/programs.