Johnstown High School students have more opportunities than ever to explore their interests and build real-world business skills. Over the past two years, the business department has expanded its course offerings, giving students more ways to discover potential careers and prepare for life beyond high school.
This year, students can choose from three business electives, all taught by Christine Krempa: Personal Finance, which allows students to earn college credit through FMCC; Career Exploration, which helps students learn more about their interests and future career options; and Sports & Entertainment Marketing, where students can explore the business side of the sports and entertainment industries.
Students can also take their business experience beyond the classroom with the addition of a sanctioned Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter. Open to students in grades 9–12, FBLA gives students the opportunity to put their skills into action while developing leadership, communication, and career-readiness skills.
“As outlined in Portraits in Practice, the District’s strategic plan, we are committed to ensuring that every student graduates from Johnstown High School with the knowledge, transferable skills, and confidence to succeed in school, career, and life,” said Superintendent of Schools Alicia D. Koster. “Expanding our business course offerings and introducing opportunities such as FBLA are intentional investments in that commitment. Through these experiences, students can explore future pathways, develop practical skills, earn college credit, and apply their learning in authentic, real-world settings.”
Johnstown’s business electives give students the opportunity to explore the world of business beyond the traditional classroom through meaningful field trips to local businesses. These experiences allow students to network with professionals, engage in hands-on learning, and gain a deeper understanding of the diverse career opportunities available to them.
Krempa recently took students in Career Exploration class on a field trip to National Grid’s career Pathway Expo in Albany where students visited various divisions of the company including the overhead line, robotics, drones, environmental, legal, forestry, and more.
“One of the biggest takeaways for our students was seeing just how many different career paths are available within one company,” Krempa said. “We learned that opportunities at National Grid can begin with a four-year degree, a two-year degree, technical training or even no traditional college degree at all. There truly is more than one path to a successful career,” she added.
Krempa said that perhaps the most powerful part of the day for her was hearing directly from National Grid employees as they talked about the company’s family-oriented culture and the support that they receive throughout their careers.
“We heard over and over about the company’s commitment to training, professional growth and opportunities to move throughout the organization,” said Krempa. “Many employees shared how they started in one position, worked their way up, learned new skills, completely changed pathways within the company and built long-term careers.”
Experiences like this are helping Johnstown students connect the dots between what they are learning in the classroom to the possibilities that await them beyond high school.
