The journey from classroom to career took center stage on Thursday as 350 Okaloosa County high school seniors gathered at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center for the district’s sixth annual Career and Technical Education (CTE) ‘Career & College Signing Day’. 

• The event, which began six years ago as a small gathering in the Okaloosa County School Board room, has grown exponentially to become one of the district’s most anticipated celebrations, showcasing the evolution of career education in Okaloosa County. 

“Today we’re very excited to celebrate our career and technical education students,” said Jennifer Beasley, Program Director for Career and Technical Education. “Students have chosen one of three paths. They’re either going to continue their education, seek further employment, or enlist in the armed forces.”

Of the 350 students recognized during the ceremony, 251 will continue their education in college while pursuing career technical fields, 53 will enter directly into the workforce, and 31 will join the military services.

Superintendent Marcus Chambers, a staunch advocate for CTE programs, emphasized the district’s commitment to creating pathways for student success beyond traditional four-year degrees. 

• “CTE is something that’s been extremely important to us. It’s a major factor of what we’re trying to do to prepare kids for the military, workforce or college,” Chambers said. “When you look at over 6,000 students in our county involved in CTE last year, almost 4,000 industry certifications they received — all of that is a benefit to our students.”

The district’s approach to career education represents a significant shift from previous generations when vocational programs were sometimes viewed as less prestigious alternatives to college preparation. Today, Okaloosa’s CTE programs are recognized as vital pathways that equip students with both technical expertise and essential workplace skills.

“What we’re seeing here, as well as across the state and the nation, is that shift into those trades fields,” Beasley noted. “We want to make sure that we’re meeting those needs, that we’re preparing students for life after high school that’s relevant to what the workforce needs.”

The ceremony featured Nathan Sparks, Executive Director of One Okaloosa Economic Development Council, who delivered an inspiring keynote address centered around the acronym “PEACE” — Prepare, Execute, Accept, Celebrate, and Exhibit Gratitude. 

• “This ceremony is called a signing day for a reason,” Sparks told the graduates. “Signing your name represents a promise – not just to the institution or employer, but to yourself. It’s a promise to pursue excellence, to stay curious, to keep growing, and to never give up on your goals, even when things get tough.”

Okaloosa’s CTE programs span 22 different career pathways, including emerging fields like artificial intelligence and machine learning alongside traditional trades like building construction, automotive technology, and welding. The district has also seen a resurgence in agricultural programs in the north end of the county at Baker and Laurel Hill schools. 

“The programs that we have in the school district, they’re not just random,” Chambers explained. “We want to have programs that lead to our local industry. You look at artificial intelligence and machine learning — that translates right to our Air Force base and many of the contractors who work here.”

This career-focused approach begins early, with elementary students now gaining exposure to potential career paths. Chambers described a recent visit to Elliott Point Elementary where third, fourth, and fifth graders were participating in a building trades program during their “Career Day” event. 

• “Students were confidently operating power drills and nail guns with precision that would impress professional contractors. These elementary students weren’t just playing with tools — they were applying real-world building skills with remarkable focus. It was a powerful reminder of why we’re committed to this elementary-to-workforce pipeline.”

For parents with younger students entering high school, Beasley emphasized that CTE programs offer valuable skills for all students, regardless of their post-graduation plans. 

“Even if your child thinks that they’re going to go to a four-year degree program, there’s a lot of value in at least experiencing our career and technical education programs,” she said. “They’re preparing them for the soft skills and all of those employability skills that students need, regardless of what field they’re going to go into after high school.”

As the 350 seniors crossed the stage to sign their commitments to colleges, employers, and military branches, they represented not just their own achievements but the growing recognition that career and technical education offers diverse paths to success. 

• “We do signing days for sports, and that happens all across the nation, but it doesn’t necessarily happen for careers,” Chambers said. “So we want to be a school district that honors our athletics, honors students going to college, but also honors career and technical education.”

The signing day ceremony celebrated students from Baker, Choctawhatchee, Crestview, Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Laurel Hill, and Niceville high schools, with many attendees heading to 45 different schools across 15 states and three countries. 

For the Okaloosa County School District, the event represents not just the culmination of these students’ high school careers, but the realization of a long-term vision. 

“A vision was made about six years ago; elementary to workforce,” Chambers said. “And we are literally now seeing students who started career technical education programs in elementary and middle school and they’re now working in the local workforce.”