Columbia Gorge Students Explore Local Career Pathways Through “Next Steps: Careers in the Gorge”

Mar 19

Written By Columbia Community Connection

Lindsey Hegemann, CGCC Advanced Manufacturing instructor, shares insights with students about careers and hands-on training in the College’s manufacturing lab during the Next Steps in The Gorge event.

From Columbia Gorge STEM Hub:

By Nicole Tolmie

The Dalles, Ore., March 19, 2026 — On February 24 & 26, 200 eighth-grade students from North Wasco gathered at Columbia Gorge Community College for Next Steps: Careers in the Gorge, a hands-on career exploration experience designed to connect classroom learning with real-world opportunities close to home.

Over two days, 169 students from The Dalles Middle School were joined by 16 students from Mosier Community School and 14 students from St. Mary’s Academy in The Dalles, rotating through interactive sessions led by regional professionals. Hosted by the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum in partnership with the Columbia Gorge STEM Hub and CGCC, the event introduced students to careers spanning healthcare, skilled trades, natural resources, technology, and public service .

Students practice CPR skills with guidance from Adventist Health care professionals during a hands-on health care career session.

The event brought together a wide range of community and industry partners who generously volunteered their time and expertise. Participating organizations included Adventist Health, Oregon State Parks, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day Dams), Oregon Veterans’ Home, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Columbia Gorge Education Service District, Columbia Gorge Community College and OSU Extension.

Collectively, dozens of volunteers across these organizations helped create a dynamic, interactive experience- answering questions, sharing career journeys, and offering students a firsthand look at what it means to contribute to their community through meaningful work.

Industry partners reflected on the importance of engaging students early in their career exploration. Elika Paki, Park Ranger 2 with Oregon State Parks, shared that participating in the event was “a powerful opportunity to engage with students who are just beginning to explore career pathways and help them envision their potential role as future land stewards.” He added that events like this demonstrate how “...visibility matters, representation matters, and conversations matter,” helping students see themselves reflected in meaningful, place-based careers.

The event was intentionally timed to align with students’ transition into high school, helping them see how Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs can serve as early on-ramps to high-demand, family-wage careers available in the Gorge. Rather than viewing education as abstract or distant, students experienced how coursework, credentials, and community partnerships connect directly to meaningful career pathways.

One student shared, “It was really cool because you got to hear about the little details of the jobs. I liked the park ranger and the trail technology stuff, and the wheat scientist talking about how the balance between what types of wheat that farmers want to grow and which ones the deer want to eat was also really interesting. It made the jobs feel more real.”

This collaborative effort reflects a shared regional commitment to career-connected learning - bringing industry, education, and community partners together to ensure students can envision themselves as the next generation of skilled professionals, public servants, and community leaders in the Columbia Gorge.

Columbia Gorge STEM Hub is a department of Columbia Gorge Education Service District. To learn more about the STEM Hub’s work, visitwww.gorgestem.org. This initiative was supported by funding from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.