Many youth from immigrant families face unique barriers in accessing career exploration opportunities, particularly in rural communities. These students may be unfamiliar with the variety of local career paths available to them and often lack early exposure to workforce environments. There is a growing need to provide hands-on, engaging programs that help students envision their future and build connections within their communities.

Career Craze, a collaborative effort coordinated by Maysville Community and Technical College in partnership with the Family and Consumer Sciences program and many other regional and local organizations, aims to provide middle school students—specifically 6th through 8th graders from immigrant families—an inside look at local career options. Over the course of the program, students travel to various community businesses and organizations to learn about different career paths through interactive experiences and mentorship.

I contributed to the culinary career exploration on day 2 out the 3 days, assisting with group supervision and instruction. I worked directly with a group of 15 students, accompanying them as they traveled to two culinary-focused locations. Our first stop was Hippie Burger, a local restaurant where students toured the kitchen, made their own flavored lemonade, and learned about the demands and rewards of the restaurant industry. The second stop was the Mason County Extension Office, where youth were grouped into teams of three and prepared individual apple crisp desserts, which they enjoyed after lunch. I had the recipe printed in Spanish from the PlanEatMove website so students felt more confident trying to do the recipe on their own. This hands-on activity allowed them to engage directly with food preparation and nutrition education in a supportive environment.

Career Craze served middle school students (grades 6–8) from immigrant families across 4–5 counties. The program included approximately 220 students total, organized into roughly 20 groups of 15 students each, if everybody showed up or didn't get picked up early, exploring various career pathways over the course of three days. Pathways included culinary arts, healthcare, technology, agriculture, and more.

Career Craze successfully provided meaningful, hands-on career exploration to middle school students who may not otherwise have had access to such opportunities. Youth participants reported increased interest in culinary arts and a better understanding of the local food service industry. Informal evaluation and participant feedback indicated increased confidence, engagement, and enthusiasm about future career options. Several students expressed a desire to explore culinary or hospitality work in high school and beyond. The program strengthened connections between youth, local businesses, and community partners, while also promoting awareness of the educational support available through Extension.