Casandra Perez, 18, aspires to be an orthodontist. The Northwest Classen senior worked for a dentist during the summer, sterilizing instruments.
“I’ve always been fascinated by teeth, and I feel like teeth boost a person’s self-esteem by a lot,” Perez said. “And I just want to give everyone a beautiful smile.”
Perez wants to study predentistry at the University of Central Oklahoma and attend the University of Oklahoma for dental school.
Green, who plans to attend Oklahoma City University, called the academy’s benefits “endless.”
“Even if you don’t want a career in mental health, it shows that you can do something,” she said. “And it challenges you, a whole lot more than anybody knows.”
Nearly 50 students received paid internships over the summer, just one of the career academy benefits.
German Padilla, 17, is a soft-spoken senior at Northwest Classen who wants to counsel adolescents. That’s why he decided to get involved in the teacher preparation academy, the first of its kind in Oklahoma.
Padilla is looking forward to visiting elementary schools and assisting teachers with lesson plans and schedules.
“I’m going to get to go to classrooms and experience firsthand what it will be like,” he said.
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