Michelle Rodriguez and Alivia Insixiengmay – Mustangs Ahead

(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL) – LRHS Mustangs are completing their professional certification for future jobs.

Mustangs are testing to become certified in many different fields that can qualify them for jobs in a variety of fields.

Engineering, taught by Bryan Richards, offers three tests. These include Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF) – Engineering and Robotics, SolidWorks and Autodesk – Inventor, Fusion 360, AutoCad, Revit.

Richards said, “I have all my students in my class take the certifications, it is part of the class. My pass rates depend on the test, but the average is around 70.”

Certification tests count as college credits, acceleration points, and are acknowledged by industry for jobs. This means Mustangs can be hired for a job straight out of high school,  or can skip certain college classes.

Another certification LRHS offers is Child Development Associates (CDA). To become certified, Mustangs must be enrolled in Early Childhood Education for four years, complete a CDA Professional Portfolio, work with children 3-5 for 480 hours, have 120 hours through Department of Children and Families (DCF) and, finally, pass the CDA exam.

Delaney Riggins teaches Early Childhood 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Riggins said, “Students that earn their CDA can be hired to teach in a preschool classroom by the time they graduate high school.”

Last year, all 17 of Riggins’ seniors earned their CDA.

Byron Stedman is another LRHS teacher that offers certification for TV Production. TV Production offers students Adobe Premiere Pro Certification.

Stedman said, “The Adobe Certification in Premiere Pro is a great addition to any student’s resume. In particular those who plan to earn a post-secondary degree or seek employment in the field of TV Production.”

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LRHS business teacher Sharelies Rodriguez provides “Small Business and Entrepreneurship Certification V.2” and “Social Media Strategist.”

Rodriguez’s pass rates show that more than half of her students have already passed on of her certifications for the 22-23 school year.

She said, “Lakewood Ranch is the lead school at district level when it comes to the numbers of students passing industry certifications.”

Passing these tests allow Mustangs to have the knowledge and skills for career opportunities after school.