Create Winning Experiences
Students Building Real Career Opportunities
A select team of students organizing career workshops, industry speakers, and professional connections for the South Lakes community.
Program Impact Goals
The South Lakes Career Leadership Program was created to expand career awareness and professional skill development for students across the school community.
Through this initiative, FBLA aims to:
• Organize career workshops led by professionals from a variety of industries
• Host guest speakers who share real-world career experiences
• Create networking opportunities between students and local professionals
• Help students explore internship and career pathways
• Develop leadership and project management skills through real event planning
By giving students the responsibility to build these opportunities themselves, the program creates meaningful leadership experience that goes beyond traditional classroom learning.
How the Program Works
The South Lakes Career Leadership Program operates as a small working team of selected students who meet regularly to plan and organize career development initiatives.
Program Structure
- Student Leadership Team
Selected students form the core team responsible for planning and coordinating projects. - Work Sessions
Students meet Tuesday through Thursday from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM in Room 202 to develop and organize program initiatives. - Career Programming
The team organizes workshops, speaker events, and other career-focused opportunities open to all South Lakes students. - Community Partnerships
Local professionals and businesses collaborate with the program by speaking to students, mentoring participants, or supporting events.
This structure allows students to gain real leadership experience while helping expand career exploration opportunities throughout the school.
Why This Program Exists
Many school clubs allow students to participate passively. Students sign up, attend a few meetings, and list the activity on a résumé. While participation has value, it does not always provide the type of experience that truly prepares students for leadership or professional environments.
The South Lakes Career Leadership Program was created to take a different approach.
Instead of simply attending events, students in this program help build them. Selected students take ownership of real projects that expand career awareness and professional opportunities for the entire South Lakes community. They work together to organize workshops, coordinate guest speakers, and develop connections with professionals who can share real industry insight.
This structure allows students to practice leadership in a meaningful way. Planning events, working with professionals, and managing projects requires communication, responsibility, and follow-through. These are the same skills students will need in college, internships, and future careers.
By placing students in roles where they must take initiative and contribute consistently, the program helps transform leadership from a title into an experience. The result is a stronger learning environment for students and a more engaged connection between the school and the professional community.
Only a limited number of students are selected each year. Those accepted must demonstrate:
Initiative
Reliability
Strong work ethic
Commitment to the program schedule
Selective Student Leadership Team
The Career Experience Program is intentionally kept small so that students can take on meaningful responsibility and leadership roles.
Students must apply and be approved to participate.
Students selected become part of the founding team responsible for building programs that will benefit future South Lakes students.
How the Scholarship Partnership Works
Local businesses help recognize student leadership while supporting future opportunities for South Lakes students.
01
Company Introduction
Students reach out to local businesses to introduce the South Lakes Career Experience Program and ask if they would be interested in supporting student leadership scholarships. Interested companies are connected with our scholarship team to learn more about the opportunity.
02
Scholarship Partnership
Companies can sponsor a leadership scholarship at levels such as $500, $1,000, or $2,000. These scholarships recognize South Lakes students who demonstrate leadership through athletics, clubs, service, and other school activities.
03
Scholarship Presentation
Scholarships are awarded to deserving South Lakes students during a school career or recognition event. Whenever possible, sponsoring companies are invited to help present the scholarship and meet the students they are supporting.
Career Workshops and Professional Speakers
Students in the program also organize career-focused workshops that allow students to learn directly from professionals.
These events may include:
• Career exploration presentations
• Industry panels
• Resume and interview workshops
• Entrepreneurship discussions
• Professional mentorship opportunities
These events are open to all South Lakes students and help expand career exploration opportunities across the school.
Partnering With South Lakes
Local businesses play an important role in helping students gain real-world insight into careers and leadership.
Companies can partner with the program in several ways:
• Sponsoring student scholarships
• Speaking at career workshops
• Participating in career panels
• Mentoring students
• Supporting student leadership initiatives
