Seminole State College GEAR UP program recently completed two different residential camps for high school students in the month of June. The theme for the camps was Career Encounters, based upon the 1977 film “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” Students toured career technical sites and college programs and then visited various businesses where employees perform the tasks and skills learned in the career tech or college programs.

The first camp focused on careers in the healthcare industry. Students toured the joint Seminole State College and Gordon Cooper Technology Center program for medical laboratory technicians and then visited Diagnostic Laboratory in Oklahoma City. Students toured Rose State College and Oklahoma City Community College and learned about occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, nursing and physical therapy. Students had the opportunity to have lunch on both college campuses and visited the Integris Southwest Medical Center to hear about job opportunities and how the hospital will assist with learning expenses. Students also participated in various cultural events like attending the Oklahoma City Art Museum, water taxi rides at Bricktown, break out rooms and dining at Fuzzy’s Tacos, the Olive Garden and Golden Corral. The final day was spent volunteering at the Oklahoma Regional Food Bank in Oklahoma City.

The second camp was over multimedia careers. Students toured the University of Central Oklahoma, Oklahoma City University, and the University of Oklahoma and learned about mass communications, E-sports management, the film industry, while also dining for lunch at two of the campuses. The industry tour was to I Heart Radio stations in Oklahoma City, who are affiliated with radio stations KJ103, KOMA, 101.9 the Twister, and 98.9 Kiss FM. The multimedia camp’s last day was also spent volunteering at the Oklahoma Regional Food Bank.