Career Kickstart Connects Students With Industry and Community

Last week, 46 students immersed themselves in real-world career experiences designed to ignite their future pathways.

Our Career Kickstart pilot, generously supported by the Issaquah Schools Foundation and our corporate sponsor SanMar, is off to an incredible start!

• Monday launched with self-discovery workshops powered by Xello (college and career readiness software), helping students explore their personality traits and career interests.
• On Tuesday, students split into small cohorts to tour leading organizations—Microsoft, Seattle Children's Hospital, and Bank of America—meeting professionals and getting a glimpse into daily operations.
• Wednesday featured deep-dive visits to Boeing, PACCAR, and Starbucks, with engaging Q&A panels and workplace tours.
• On Thursday students spent the day at SanMar, where they: Conducted informational interviews, received professional feedback on resumes, had professional headshot photos taken and prepared for upcoming job shadow experiences.

In addition, students participated in a panel focused on the power of durable skills like communication, adaptability, and collaboration—with inspiring professionals including and engineer from Hargis, a charge nurse from Seattle Children’s Hospital and a senior HR director from SanMar.

This week, students will spend 1–3 days shadowing professionals, and the program will wrap up August 14 with final workshops including an alumni panel highlighting post-high school journeys.

This pilot is a powerful example of what’s possible when schools, industry, and community come together to reimagine career-connected learning for our students. We’re excited to share more as the pilot concludes and look forward to expanding these kinds of experiences in the future.