GMCS Students, Families Connect With Career Pathways at Spring Events

Six Gallup-McKinley County Schools chapters competed at the New Mexico SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference in Albuquerque March 18-21, with students from Gallup High, Hiroshi Miyamura High, Tohatchi High, Crownpoint High, Navajo Pine High and the Opportunity Career Center all earning recognition at the state level.

Competitors traveled to Albuquerque on their own Spring Break time, facing off in career-technical fields that included construction trades, culinary arts, automotive, information technology and health sciences. Multiple teams advanced and will represent GMCS at future competitions. The district said students "demonstrated exceptional skill, determination and professionalism" throughout the conference.

The competition capped a full month of career programming across the district. On March 10, Gallup High School hosted the spring College and Career Fair in two sessions for 11th-grade students, drawing college admissions offices, workforce agencies, military recruiters and industry partners to campus for direct conversations with juniors. The two-session format allowed GMCS to reach students from schools across McKinley County in a single day.

Two weeks later, McKinley Academy's Gurley Hall held a Family Academic and Career Night on March 26, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., bringing the same network of partners to an evening setting where parents could attend alongside their students. GMCS invited businesses and educational partners to "showcase your programs, scholarships, certifications, career pathways, jobs, apprenticeships, internships, and resources — and help inspire the next generation of scholars and leaders."

GMCS serves a predominantly Native student population across one of New Mexico's most geographically dispersed school systems. For families where college or trade enrollment is a first-generation decision, that face-to-face contact with recruiters, scholarship coordinators and employers can move a career pathway from a vague idea to a submitted application.

The district has signaled plans to expand dual-credit and CTE offerings and deepen its network of community partners for work-based learning, with additional career fairs and family nights planned for the coming school year.