Welcome to The Change Agent! Issue 45: Career Pathways
Use this College and Career Readiness grid to find standards-aligned activities.
Students have a lot to say about Career Pathways, and we are proud to share their perspectives in this first-ever exploration of the topic from a student point of view.
Hear what they have to say about the challenges and opportunities they face as they work to achieve their goals. Share their hopes and moments of regret as they learn and grow from their sometimes twisted path toward a career. Hear from young people just starting out, older students switching careers, highly skilled immigrants who need new credentials, and those for whom available career pathways don’t quite align with their dreams. Compare pathway maps, lattices, and roadways. Study graphs and charts that encourage critical thinking about job prospects. Support your students to pursue research that will teach them about jobs and careers, as well as how to connect with resources.
Watch this digital story, which accompanies “My Life in Concrete” by Carlos Contreras (p. 24)
Table of Contents
Click on the header to sort the list by title, page or level. To listen to the audio, click on the titles with the headphone icon. Students can work in pairs and use this Fluency Chart with the Audio Articles below.
TITLE |
PAGE |
LEVEL |
| Career Pathways Q&A | 3 | 7 |
| From Impossible Journey to Successful Career | 4 | 8 |
 My Beautiful White Blouse |
6 | 5 |
| Becoming a Paramedic | 9 | 7 |
| Can I Still Be Somebody? | 10 | 6 |
| Can I Still Be Somebody? (picture story) | 10 | 3 |
| Putting Experience to Work |
12 | 6 |
| A Path through the Pain | 14 | 7 |
| From Mom to Event Planner | 16 | 8 |
| Fight Your Fear | 18 | 7 |
| Working Like a Donkey |
20 | 6 |
| Becoming a Barber |
21 | 5 |
| From Laborer to Architect | 22 | 5 |
| My Life in Concrete |
24 | 4 |
| Socorro Means Succor | 26 | 14 |
| The Highs and Lows of a Dream Chaser |
29 | 6 |
| Caring for People with Disabilities | 30 | 5 |
| Dyslexia Won’t Get in My Way | 31 | 7 |
| I Was a Dentist in Syria |
32 | 5 |
| No Risks, No Rewards | 34 | 6 |
| Why Not? |
35 | 4 |
| My Winding Career Path | 36 | 6 |
| Cosmetology Didn’t Work Out |
37 | 6 |
| I Stumbled and Got Back Up | 38 | 5 |
| Hurry Up and Wait |
40 | 6 |
| Learn English and Join a Union |
41 | 7 |
| Wageless Work, Modern Day Slavery | 42 | 8 |
| They Prepare Us to Fail | 44 | 10 |
| My Road to Greatness | 45 | 8 |
| The Feeling of Losing a Job |
46 | 5 |
| The Question of Minimum Wage | 48 | 2 |
| Fighting for Higher Wages | 49 | 8 |
| Career Pathways Are Not Enough | 51 | 11 |
| Repaving My Career Path | 54 | 6 |