From school to the workplace, the Career Prep class is readying students for life after high school and college by giving them real world work experience all while receiving high school credits.

“This class gives students one credit for the class and two credits for working outside of school,” Career Prep teacher Ted Stephens said.

Working a job and studying in school can be a difficult task since school doesn’t end until 4:15, but with the Career Prep class, students get to leave after fifth period, which is around 2:00, to go into their job and work.

“I worked at McDonald’s and I would be working about six hours a day,” senior Hunter Balthrop said.

To be able to stay in the class, the students must work a minimum of 15 hours a week.

Senior Preston Sidwell works at a tile company in Rockwall; over spring break he worked more than 50 hours.

“There was a lot of paperwork involved showing that we worked,” Sidwell said. “During class we talk about our future and what we could do to obtain our goals.”

The students are required to bring a signed pay stub showing the amount of hours worked to obtain grades in the class. Without the pay stub the student will receive a zero on a major grade.

“I call the employer once a six weeks.” Stephens said. “I ask them about how the student is working and if they have been there the correct amount of hours as well as what I need to teach the students on what the employer is looking for in an interview.”