WEST MIFFLIN — After you depart from high school, it’s critical to have a plan.
The Emerging Leaders Program at West Mifflin Area High School is designed to help seniors develop theirs.
“Emerging Leaders is a program specifically designed for high school seniors to help them with anything (after) high school graduation,” said program coordinator Brittany Grubbs. “(It’s designed) so students will walk out of high school with a plan. It could be college, it could be a career or the military. My job is to help them (develop) a plan from here into the next step of their life.”
The program is run through the nonprofit Human Services Center Mon Valley and is income-based.
During their participation in the program, students meet with Grubbs weekly to discuss established goals. Grubbs checks students’ grades and helps make sure they’re on track to graduate, and can provide resources as needed.
Through the program, Grubbs takes students on college visits — most recently Washington and Jefferson — and helps them prepare college applications. Students in the program also can take advantage of things such as job shadowing opportunities, visiting work sites, mock interviews, and more.
“Anything and everything to make their transition as seamless as possible,” Grubbs said.
This year’s program includes 33 West Mifflin students and is operated on a first-come, first-served basis. Grubbs noted that there’s room for more, too.
“More students should enroll in the program. It’s so valuable to the students,” she said. “They’ll be able to experience (different options) and be able to have a better plan and see what’s out there because now it’s available to them, (even if) they may not be able to have the resources. And this program is free (to students).”
In the 2023-24 school year, the program’s successes were wide-ranging. Among them were:
- 98.7% of participants earned a high school diploma.
- 94.5% of participants entered post-secondary education or training, the military, or the workforce.
- 93.5% completed job shadows/professional informational interviews.
Personally, Grubbs says a lot of the students she’s worked with have gone on to college.
“The majority are starting their first or second year of college. They’re continuing their education to fulfill a two-year degree or certificate or their four-year degree,” she said. “Some have joined the military, too. I had a student text me the other day that he had finished basic training and is fulfilling his next step. And then I have students working and joining the workforce.”
But before doing any of those things, it started with a plan.
“We (offer these opportunities) so that students can truly make a sound decision on what they want their next step to be,” Grubbs said.