Roadtrip Nation Brings Its Career Exploration Journey to MiraCosta College September 26

Roadtrip Nation is coming to MiraCosta College. As part of a partnership with the California Community Colleges that included a three-week summer tour for a documentary detailing how notable community college graduates found their field of work, the nonprofit Roadtrip Nation will be parking its signature green RV at the Oceanside Campus on September 26, to introduce its Roadmap to Careers tool and other resources aimed at helping students focus on a pathway to a profession for which they have a passion.

“We’re hoping our students can make the connection between the classes they’re taking and the career in which they’re interested,” said Donna Davis, faculty director for Career Studies & Services at MiraCosta College.

Roadtrip Nation has for nearly two decades been working to guide students in finding their career by creating content to help them see what is possible, when they follow their interests. Since the first road trip In 2001, it has driven more than half a million miles and made more than 30 documentaries.
Its Roadmap to Careers landing page includes links to archived interviews with nearly 900 leaders and more than 2,400 Share Your Road written profiles. Typical, is this testimonial from Tom Arviso Jr., CEO and publisher at Navajo Times Publishing Co. “Go with your heart. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.”

Students navigating Roadmap to Careers choose an area of interest, answer questions, such as “What lights you up at your core?” They then discover a list of top careers and detailed data for each career, based on their stated interests. From there, Roadmap to Careers contains links to testimonials, educational requirements, and more. Choosing majors and developing educational pathways completes the process.

As part of the Roadtrip Nation partnership with the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, each campus will have its own Roadmap to Careers landing page, which is a unique url where students can create a personal account with a school-specific code and classes.

“This is one of the many Career Center tools available to help students get excited about exploring their career possibilities,” said Davis.
MiraCosta College student Melina Martinez is a believer. She was one of three students who journeyed across California in the July Roadtrip Nation tour. “We talked to a teacher in Sacramento (Hassan McWhorter), who said younger kids are always asked what they want to be instead of being asked who they are,” said Martinez. Others along the way emphasized that students need to follow their passion. By the time she returned to her home in Vista, Martinez had decided to follow her love of graphic design.

“I had been thinking about business marketing, but that’s not really what I wanted to do,” she said. “I was going down that path because I was more focused on the financial aspects of the profession.”

About MiraCosta College

The MiraCosta Community College District has served the coastal North San Diego County area for over 80 years. More than 21,000 credit students per semester in over 70 disciplines enroll in associate degrees, university transfer and workforce readiness certificate programs. The college also serves a wide spectrum of educational needs in the region ranging from programs for adult education, basic skills, and ESL to a California Community College pilot program offering the nation’s first baccalaureate degree in biomanufacturing. MiraCosta College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

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