CLARK FORK — Determining goals for the future is a daunting task for most high schoolers.

At Clark Fork High School, a job program that creates job shadowing opportunities for students was designed to make those senior-year decisions a little less stressful. As students consider their career options, choice of major, type of trade, or 10-year-plan, Clark Fork seniors and juniors are paired with mentors in a field they are interested in. 

“They learn those soft skills such as how to make phone calls, how to professionally email, how to show up on time, how to dress appropriately for the position, all of that,” said Rebecca Palmer, a senior project coordinator and English teacher at CFHS. 

To complete their senior projects, the students must complete 40 mentor-verified hours. 

“I complete a site visit, I talk them through their project, I talk to them about how they’ve done, I give the mentors a survey they fill out about their student and about the program,” she said. “The big thing is going to be a week from Friday … our senior project presentations.”

On Jan. 19, 34 students will complete a “reflective and demonstrative presentation” for a panel of judges. The panel is made up of school board trustees, school employees, and business owners who can offer feedback to students.

“Many students have received jobs based on this program, or at the very least a letter of recommendation,” Palmer said. “Many students use this opportunity to know exactly what they want to use the Idaho Launch scholarship for.”

Eloise Shelton, a senior at CFHS, is interested in pursuing dental hygiene. She job shadowed at Lewis & Hawn Excellence in Dentistry during her time in the program last year. 

Her experience helped her complete dual credit courses so that she will complete all but one of her pre-requisite courses by the time she graduates, propelling her into a career she wants to pursue. 

“I started my sophomore year working toward dental hygiene,” Shelton said. “Then when it was my turn to do the independent track program I was super excited because it confirmed that that’s what I wanted to do. It saved me a lot of time and a lot of money so I’m so grateful for that.”

The office where she job shadowed has offered her a job once she completes her schooling, Shelton said.

Students like Carson Yetter have unique experiences with the program. He enlisted with the National Guard, so his schedule contrasts with other students. His time there counts toward the Independent Track Program at CFHS, but instead of working with mentors Friday, Yetter said he works with the National Guard two days a month. 

“It’s really awesome that I get to do this,” he said. “Since I was 12, I’ve always wanted to enlist in the military.”

The Family Health Center was not student Rebbeca Heilman’s first choice when she first started the program. 

“I want to specialize specifically in pediatric nursing, but the Kaniksu Community Health was full, training a whole bunch of new people,” she said. Instead, I went to the Family Health Center and it really opened up my eyes to how much you can do in this one field.”

Heilman said she was very grateful for the experience because watching nurses care for diverse issues gave her complete confidence that she wants to work with children and nursing. 

Palmer mentioned that sometimes students figure out what they don’t want to do, like one who wanted to be an ultrasound tech until she observed her first gallbladder surgery. In the end, the program either changes minds or confirms decisions, which are both considered a success by leaders at CFHS.