Skip To Main Content

Fall 2025-26

DECA team photo

Blazers on and goals set—our DECA team represents Lake Stevens at competition, sharpening skills in entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, and leadership.

Career & Technical Education: Hands on learning, real-world skills

From robotics and child development to video production and digital design, nearly 100 Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses give Lake Stevens students the chance to explore interests, build marketable skills, and even earn college credit along the way.

“CTE provides students with the academic and technical skills, knowledge, experience and training necessary to succeed in future careers and to become lifelong learners,” said Dan Tedor, Director of CTE. “In Lake Stevens, students have access to in-demand, high-wage career areas. Our CTE students are career and college ready by accessing rigorous and inclusive learning environments.”

Students learning taping techniques

Wrap, support, recover—students in Sports Medicine practice taping techniques used by athletic trainers.

Student practicing welding

Sparks fly in the LSHS manufacturing lab as a student practices MIG welding on industry-standard equipment.

Student Spotlight

Audrey Hinkson

  • Senior
  • CTE focus areas: Robotics, Manufacturing, Principles of Engineering, Computer Science

Audrey’s CTE journey began in eighth grade with Mr. Lynass’s Robotics and Automation class—a teacher-recommended placement that she calls “a door-opener.”

Audrey Hinkson

 

“CTE classes opened a lot of doors and helped me use creativity and logic in different ways,” Audrey shared. “They also introduced me to the engineering process and prepared me for working with people on real projects.”

Audrey competes on the high school’s robotics team—Team 8931M, United Robotics Coalition—and mentors younger students, an experience that has strengthened her communication and leadership skills. Class debates and design presentations pushed her outside her comfort zone, building confidence and the ability to explain and defend her ideas.

A project on biomedical engineering in Principles of Engineering at Cavelero sparked her interest in the field. Now, she plans to pursue this career—ideally at the University of Washington—where engineers design the equipment, devices, and software that power modern healthcare.

Pathways, college credit, and industry credentials

Lake Stevens CTE offers courses across Washington’s recognized graduation pathways:

  • Business & Marketing
  • Family & Consumer Sciences
  • Health Sciences
  • Skilled & Technical Sciences
  • STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics)

Many courses offer CTE Dual Credit, allowing students to earn college credit by completing the high school course with a qualifying grade. Several programs also provide Industry-Recognized Credentials—from First Aid/CPR to Adobe Certified Professional—giving students a head start toward employment or advanced training. And through our CTE Manufacturing partnership with The Boeing Company’s Pre-Employment Training Program, Lake Stevens students regularly step directly from graduation into high-wage aerospace roles with a clear career pathway and competitive pay.

Beyond the high school: Sno-Isle Skills Center and Regional Apprenticeship Pathways

In addition to courses offered in Lake Stevens, students can apply to Sno-Isle Skills Center in Mukilteo, which runs 20 specialized programs ranging from advanced manufacturing to health sciences and public safety. Students also have the opportunity to apply to the Regional Apprenticeship Pathways program, hosted in the Marysville School District. This program is a state recognized apprenticeship program for high school juniors and seniors interested in the skilled trades industries.

Student Spotlight

Naralieu Mapp

  • Senior
  • CTE focus areas: Video Production and Digital Design

Naralieu found her path behind the camera in Video Production and Digital Design. She enjoyed learning so much that she repeated Video 2 to refine her skills and practice. She’s filmed school events—like prom promotions and recaps—and supports athletics by recording football games.

Naralieu Mapp

“Video production gives you independence,” Naralieu explained. “I’ve learned editing, how to use cameras and equipment, and directing a team of people—I’m building an editor’s reel.”

She credits the community around Viking TV, access to high-quality equipment, and supportive educators like Mr. Cogswell and Mr. Wood. After graduation, she plans to attend film school in Vancouver or Seattle and pursue work as a video editor, producer, or director.

Two culinary students making cookies

Culinary students roll, slice, and bake festive cookies while mastering precision and presentation.

Elementary robotics team

Future engineers! Elementary Robotics teams celebrate creative builds and collaborative problem-solving.

Why CTE matters

Students consistently report that CTE courses help them:

  • Discover interests and align high school choices with future goals
  • Practice teamwork and communication through project-based work
  • Build confidence by presenting, defending designs, and mentoring peers
  • Develop technical fluency—from coding to camera ops and editing
  • Earn stackable advantages like dual credit and credentials

As Audrey put it, CTE “helps you be creative and logical” and “gets you ready for the future.” Naralieu adds that it also creates community—a place where students learn, create, and support one another.

Quick facts

  • 100 courses, grades 7-12 across five pathway areas
  • Dual Credit opportunities with Everett Community College and other institutions 
  • Student organizations and teams including Robotics, Viking TV, Esports, DECA, FCCLA, and HOSA—just to name a few

Student Spotlight

Riley Walrod

  • Senior
  • CTE focus areas: Robotics, Computer Science, Digital Design

Riley’s CTE journey started in eighth-grade Robotics and continued with Intro to Computer Science as a freshman and AP Computer Science as a sophomore—where he dove into object-oriented programming in Java.

Riley Walrod

On the robotics team, 8931R “Arsenic,” Riley leads programming, writing control code in C++ and iterating through test-and-fix cycles before competitions. 

“Programming is like a dance,” he said. “You run into errors, adjust your steps, and keep moving until the whole routine works.” His team has grown together since middle school—moving from early disagreements to clear roles, planning on Discord, and building a productive, supportive culture. Along the way, they’ve enjoyed standout moments, including competing at the VEX World Championship in Texas and placing fifth out of 500 teams in a Skills Challenge.

This year, Riley is taking Digital Design, where he’s learning Canva and is eager to expand into Adobe tools for more professional-grade presentations and graphics. He says robotics and CTE have delivered more than technical skills: “Teamwork, communication, and problem solving—that’s what we practice every day. Some of my closest friends came from robotics.”

What’s next: Riley plans to study Chemistry in college with a focus on computational chemistry—blending computer science and research. He’s applying to MIT and exploring programs where he can contribute to the research community.

Learn more and enroll

Students: Talk with your school counselor during course selection to add CTE courses that fit your goals, and explore course descriptions on the district website. Local businesses interested in advisory committees, mentoring, or partnerships are encouraged to connect with the CTE office.

Career & Technical Education: Preparing every student for success

At Lake Stevens School District, our Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs are empowering students to connect their learning to their future. Students who complete at least two CTE courses, known as CTE Concentrators, are demonstrating incredible success beyond the classroom.

  • 97.9% of CTE concentrators graduate within four years, a rate that reflects the power of hands-on learning and real-world relevance
  • 89% earn an industry-recognized credential, proving they’re ready to step into high-demand careers with confidence
  • 99.6% earn college credit through CTE Dual Credit—saving time and money as they build pathways toward higher education

CTE isn’t just about classes, it’s about opportunity, empowerment, and preparing every student for a bright future. Our concentrators are living proof that when education meets experience, students thrive.