Colton, CA—On Oct. 14, 2025, Colton High School hosted an event for the Colton Joint Unified School District Career Technical Education Program (CTEP).
The event was both for locals in CJUSD to see the programs the district has to offer, along with the four year pathways such as CHAMPS, automotive, STEAM, and Welding.
CTEP is for the students to see that the community gives chances for them to succeed. Showing that students have many options for the future ahead. Offering jobs and apprenticeships, like Welding, Automotive, Mechatronics. While also enticing students with things like food, fun activities and cool eye catchers.
Anthony Reveles said, “I enjoyed watching the students struggle to understand the simulator and getting it to work, watching the students do horrible welds on the simulator.” He enjoyed conversing with the students and telling them about his experiences with the welding pathway.
Things like an entire motor from the automotive class, or something like a Lightning Mcqueen replica car from the movie Car and booths like a barber school that offers classes to students who want to learn to cut, style or dye hair.
Coordinator of Assessment, Data, and CTE, Paul Lucero, said, “Here we give the students the opportunity of choice, growing up I watched students be pushed into careers they didn’t like, and I decided to change that.” He wants to make sure every student can go into the work force doing something they love doing.
For the attendees, they played games for small prizes, had a face painting station with free popcorn, and were all put into a raffle for larger prizes such as TVs. As for the students working the event, they received pizza, drinks, and other snacks for their commitment to their pathway.
One of Colton’s Board Members, Patt Haro, has shown hopes of helping the students thrive in a community that is set up for them to do so. “We like to offer programs that are relevant and needed in society, we also hope to make connections with the community and the people who help make this city what it is.”
Superintendent of the District, Dr. Frank Miranda said, “We hope to prepare our students for the careers they want to pursue and prepare them for college if it is their vision to do so… It’s an amazing event where our students can make connections that can help them sometime down the road.”