Written by: Eadie H. and Keira W.
On the evening of December 2nd, 2025, SHSM students at KCI had the opportunity to go on a field trip to a Toronto Raptors game at Scotiabank Arena, as well as a career panel that showcased the behind-the-scenes features of the different career fields that SHSM offers. What kind of insights did this trip give to the SHSM students? The Edge found out from some attendees.
To start, what is SHSM? SHSM stands for Specialist High Skills Major, and it is a program that can give students a head start and some insight regarding the career they wish to pursue after their high school journey. This opportunity can help students get certifications, programs with training, better experience to put on their resume, and help them find the career path they wish to pursue, all based on the major of their choice. KCI Communications Technology teacher Ms. Laurin said, "It's a really nice program to get your feet wet, test the waters, and see what a particular job or career might be like."
SHSM students who applied for this field trip opportunity participated in a career panel where they had the opportunity to ask questions directed towards professionals in their SHSM field of choice. During the career panel, which lasted roughly an hour, they had the chance to ask prepared questions. This gave the students information about how to get to their chosen career, how people with their career of choice got where they are, what their daily life is like, and specifically how their career impacts their lives. Students also got an informational tour of Scotiabank Arena, learning some of the history of the location. Following the career panel, KCI’s SHSM students attended the Raptors game, in which they defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 121-118.
This trip was very popular amongst both students and teachers. Students thought this trip was very intriguing, as they got to see the Raptors play, received a lot of information about their future career fields, and got to meet like-minded people. Teachers felt that this trip was an amazing opportunity for students to be in a setting amongst other professionals. Furthermore, both teachers and students thought that being able to ask specific questions and getting the answers they were looking for was something really useful, especially because the experience was in-person rather than searching online for answers.
Overall, this field trip was agreed to have been a great experience and an engaging way for the SHSM students to get more details about their future careers. This experience positively affected many KCI students who are a part of SHSM, giving them a unique opportunity to learn in person and attend a professional sports game. Many SHSM students hope there will be more opportunities similar to this one to come.