The spring semester is here, and it has many students in Clermont County asking the age-old question: What will I do after graduation?
Connect Clermont tackles this dilemma in the season premiere of Good Day Clermont! where host Bob Pautke sat down with Angela Basler, program lead for WC Your Future, to discuss how West Clermont is shaping the future for students.
Stream the season premiere of Good Day Clermont!
According to a national survey reported by Education Week, nearly 41% of high school students feel unprepared to make a career choice after graduation. Basler believes early exposure programs like WC Your Future are key to closing that gap.
This pre-college pathway for high school students focuses on real-world experience and professional development. Led by West Clermont alumni Basler alongside the district’s Student Services Staff, WC Your Future empowers students to design personalized academic and career plans that align with their interests, strengths, and lifestyle goals.
Rather than following a one-size-fits-all learning track, this approach is reminiscent of the dual education system practiced in countries like Germany and South Korea, where a student may pursue vocational learning, trade training, or long-term higher education based on the skills and experiences they gain during their formative years.
Course offerings include:
The program also allows students to earn college credits, including Advanced Placement and associate degree coursework, while still in high school. Basler shared an example from the program’s early years, recalling a student who graduated with both a GED and an associate’s degree simultaneously — saving potentially thousands in future college costs.
Local partnerships play a critical role in the program’s success. “This is something students want; they are hungry for it,” Basler said. WC Your Future gives students the opportunity to connect with real employers and enter the workforce before their first day at college.
Rapid changes to education are impacting every county in Ohio after COVID. Despite the turbulance, West Clermont High School has already successfully embraced new tools to support modern career exploration. For example, WC Your Future gives students access to Schoology, an online learning platform, to access internship postings, career development resources, and academic opportunities in a format similar to a social media feed.
Basler shared her vision for WC Your Future graduates over the next five to eight years. “We are not just trying to prepare our students for an academic life or a career life, we want life skills, we want communication [...] students who can collaborate. We want them to be analytic thinkers."
Stream the season premiere of Good Day Clermont!
Pautke and Basler also discussed a vision to expand academic exploration for children even earlier, eventually reaching middle school and elementary students.
Parents and high school students can attend Plan Your Future Night at West Clermont on February 11, 2026. The event will host local employers, including college and military recruiters.
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