The skilled trades are booming — and the opportunities are bigger than many people realize. This episode of Cavalier Careers: The Next Step explores the reality of careers in construction, electricity, carpentry, and the building industry, including the certifications students can earn right here at CHS.

From hands-on projects and real job-site experience to high demand careers with strong pay and no college debt, this conversation highlights why the trades continue to be one of the fastest-growing career pathways available today.

The episode also explores workforce shortages, networking opportunities, innovation in housing, and the vision for expanding career and technical education opportunities for future students.

What does it really take to run a community hub like the YMCA?

From managing youth programs and summer camps to overseeing lifeguards, safety systems, and even the intimidating “pump room,” this episode dives into the fast-moving, problem-solving reality behind the scenes. You’ll hear how two leaders built careers rooted in impact, flexibility, and constant adaptation—and why no two days ever look the same.

If you think working at the Y is simple… you’re way off.

Plus: real opportunities for students—from lifeguarding and volunteer hours to getting involved in upcoming community events.

From midnight shifts to mastering the mic… 

Host Isabelle Flores sits down with industry veteran Bonnie Miller and pulls back the curtain on life in radio—from surviving overnight broadcasts during hurricanes to producing commercials heard across the country (and beyond).

Joined by CHS senior Aiden Basset, Bonnie shares how she turned a childhood passion into a 20+ year career with Connoisseur Media and WFLS—and what it really takes to succeed in a fast-paced, ever-evolving media industry.

🔥 Real talk on live radio pressure
🎧 Behind-the-scenes of production and on-air work
🚀 Straightforward advice for students ready to step into media careers

If you're thinking about broadcasting, content creation, or just want to hear how grit meets opportunity—this one delivers.

In this episode of Cavalier Careers: The Next Step, we explore Anton Paar, a global manufacturer of advanced laboratory instrumentation whose technology supports research, industry, and quality control around the world. From food and beverage production to product development, their work impacts countless everyday items — often behind the scenes. With a U.S. location in Ashland, Virginia, the company brings global innovation close to home.

The conversation highlights their technical career pathways and hands-on apprenticeship model that builds real skills on professional equipment while supporting continued education.

Anton Paar is actively seeking CCPS students, making this an opportunity worth serious consideration for those exploring future-ready career options.

🎧 Tune in by clicking on the video to the left. 

Not every career path is linear — and sometimes the unexpected route leads to real impact. In this episode of Cavalier Careers: The Next Step, we dive into the mindset, realities, and daily demands behind building meaningful influence in education.

From evolving classroom strategies and shifting technology to challenging assumptions about the profession, this conversation highlights growth, perspective, and purpose. It all builds toward a moment of unexpected recognition that says more than any title could.

Fast, authentic, and grounded in impact — this is one you don’t want to miss.

🎧 Tune in by clicking on the video to the left. 

Host Isabelle sits down with Mr. Roger Stewart, CHS’s ASL teacher, and his friend and interpreter Miss Marilyn Brady for an inspiring conversation about communication, perseverance, and purpose.

Mr. Stewart reflects on growing up Deaf as the child of military parents in Europe, mastering multiple sign languages, and how those experiences shaped his calling to teach and give back. He also shares highlights from his wrestling career, including his remarkable opportunity to compete in the Deaf Olympics.

Miss Brady discusses her journey from military wife to professional interpreter and how her studies at Gallaudet University ignited her passion for giving voice and access to the Deaf community. She shares a powerful story about helping a student who found her voice for the first time, showing how language can unlock years of silence.

Together, they explore the exciting growth of ASL education at Caroline High School and the transformative power of language in building empathy and connection.

Don’t miss this powerful episode of Cavalier Careers: The Next Step, produced by the Mass Media class in Innovation at Caroline High School.

🎧 Tune in by clicking on the video to the left.

Have you ever wondered what it’s really like to walk in the shoes of someone with your dream job?

This week, we sit down with Miss Kristina Sanders, Work-Based Learning Coordinator, who shares why she calls her role her “dream job.”

💡 In this episode:
• How students move beyond a “job” and into a lasting career they can grow with for decades.
• The secret to making powerful connections — and why success starts with making yourself known.
• Whether work-based learning is just for CTE students, or open to everyone.
• The story behind the first student to earn a registered apprenticeship with a major business partner.

💬 Discover how courage, connection, and opportunity collide — and what remains the biggest barrier to breaking into fields like healthcare and law enforcement.

🎧 Tune in by clicking on the video to the left. Meanwhile stay curious, stay inspired, and keep the conversation going!

Nursing: A Life of Care with Mrs. Denise Smith

From the streets of New York to the hospital halls of UVA, and the NICU of St. Mary's in Richmond, Mrs. Denise Smith has seen nursing at its toughest—and its most rewarding. A childhood spent tagging along with her dad at the hospital sparked a lifelong passion that carried her through over 30 years of nursing and now into the classroom, guiding Cavaliers in our CTE Nurse Aide program. Tune in for:

• 👉 Hilarious behind‑the‑scenes moments only a nurse could tell

• 🏥 How shadowing her father turned curiosity into a calling

• ⚖️ The real challenges of balancing compassion, burnout, and life outside the scrubs

• 🎓 How she’s transforming future healthcare heroes right here at Caroline High School
  
  

🎧 Tune in by clicking on the video to the left. 

In this episode of Cavalier Careers: The Next Step, we talk with Scott Wise, a J.R. Tucker High School graduate who stayed local—and helped launch the digital division at WTVR CBS 6 in Richmond. Scott shares how personal skills, adaptability, and a passion for storytelling led him to shape the way people consume news today. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to grow a career right where you grew up. 

🎧 Tune in by clicking on the video to the left. 

In this episode, we sit down with Kathy Hancock, a retired attorney, proud Caroline County Public Schools alumna, and Ladysmith High School Class of 1972 graduate. Kathy practiced law for 43 years—right on Main Street in Bowling Green—serving the community with passion and purpose.

She shares what it was like going through law school, the story of her most memorable case, and what people don’t tell you about life as a lawyer.

Plus—how accurate are those TV lawyer dramas? Kathy gives us the inside scoop on what shows get right (and wrong) about the courtroom.

If you're curious about a legal career or love courtroom stories, don’t miss this episode of Cavalier Careers: The Next Step.

We’re kicking off our brand-new career exploration series with a powerful conversation featuring Sheehy Ford of Ashland. In this episode, we dive into the urgent need for automotive technicians, what the job really looks like day to day, and the most rewarding parts of working in the industry.

From hands-on experience to long-term career growth, discover what it takes to step into the world of skilled trades—and why this path might be the right fit for you or someone you know.

This is just the beginning. Every episode, we’ll highlight different career paths and real-world opportunities to help students take the next step with confidence.