Future Focused
Unlocking Potential, Cultivating Future Pathways
Welcome to the New School Year!
Welcome to the 2025-26 Future Focused Newsletter. This is your go-to space for college readiness, career insights, and valuable resources to help you succeed. Whether you're seeking guidance, learning new skills, or questioning what you want to do after high school, this newsletter is designed to foster a sense of confident decision making and growth. Stay tuned for exciting updates, tips, and college/career readiness opportunities as we work together toward a bright future!
Meet your Career and Education Navigator, Mrs. Foster!
I am eager and passionate about ensuring that our scholars are exposed to a wide range of diverse career and educational pathways, empowering them to choose how they want to leave their mark on the world. By equipping them with essential skills in problem-solving, communication, and adaptability, they are able to become lifelong learners and confident decision-makers. Education is not only about gaining knowledge, but it’s about unlocking potential, building a brighter future, and giving our scholars the tools to break down barriers and to be the change in their communities.
September 7-13 * Arts in Education Week
September 12 * Programmers Day
September 14-20 * National Truck Driver Appreciation Week
September 15 * IT Professionals Day
September 15-19 * Construction Appreciation Week
September 19 * National Tradesman Day
September 25 * National Psychotherapy Day
September 26 * HR Professionals Day
The Michigan College Guide is a tool to help scholars find a path to the right colleges. This is a comprehensive guide to Michigan's public and private colleges and universities. Click here to take a look!
Unlock the future of AI for teens with IBM Skills Build! Learn the basics of this awesome technology and kickstart your skills with these free courses. Explore cutting-edge technologies, build essential workplace skills, and earn digital credentials to showcase what you’ve learned. Click here to register.
Skilled trades offer excellent career options with good pay and great opportunities. These in-demand jobs are in industries like healthcare, IT, manufacturing, construction, and automotive. In Michigan, employers are looking to fill over 520,000 skilled trades jobs, with 45,000 new openings each year. Click here for a helpful resource with more information on career paths, schools, and average salaries.
The Oakland County Acorn2Oak program offers grants to young individuals ages 8-18 who are passionate about making a difference. This initiative is designed to help youth bring their business ideas, community projects, educational goals, and extracurricular pursuits to life. Applicants can receive grants of up to $1,000 to support business development, community impact, educational achievements, and extracurricular activities. However, funds cannot be used for tuition, ongoing expenses, sporting equipment, or team registration fees. Don't miss out – the application deadline for this cycle is December 15th! Click here for more information.
Gordon Food Service store is currently hiring Part-Time Store Associates to support their Southfield location. This is a great opportunity to provide superior customer service to your local community! Applicants must be at least 16 years of age. Click here to apply.
Michaels in Southfield is hiring part-time Seasonal Customer Service representatives to deliver friendly customer service, help customers shop in the store, and find what they’re looking for. Applicants must be at least 16 years of age. Click here to apply.
Looking for a fun job where you can grow, learn, and make a difference? Shake Shack in Troy is hiring Restaurant Team Members! Enjoy hands-on mentorship, training, and a welcoming vibe while making an impact in your community. Applicants must be at least 16 years of age. Click here to apply.
The City of Livonia Parks & Recreation is offering several part-time positions for high school students ages 15 and older. Parks & Rec Level 1 contains the following positions:
- Athletic Attendant (must be at least 16 years old)
- Facility Attendant
- Fit Hub Attendant
Click here to apply.
Corewell Health is proud to offer job shadowing experiences for students ages 16 and above to observe a professional and ask questions about their career in a “hands-off” environment. These experiences are permitted up to 40 hours per calendar year. Please note that filling out the form does not guarantee placement, and they are unable to support job shadows with physicians at this time. Click here to express interest in a job shadow experience at Corewell Health.
McLaren Macomb is proud to offer a job shadowing/career observation experience for prospective healthcare students ages 16 and above to gain the experience to observe health-care employees in a workplace setting. Job shadows are typically only available Monday through Friday and are designed to be a one-time observation only for two (2) hours. Click here for more information and here to apply.
The Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner's office is excited to offer job shadowing opportunities for interested persons, ages 16 and older, who are entering or actively participating in the workforce. This unique opportunity provides participants with the opportunity to observe a WRC employee performing their daily work routine in their environment. Their mission is to excite potential candidates about a career in the water industry by allowing them to explore a realistic picture of the tasks performed for a specific job. Participants will receive an official certificate of completion at the end of the job shadow. Submit Your Request for a Job Shadow
I'm looking forward to connecting with you!
Mrs. Foster
Career and Education Navigator
University K-12 Academy
Counseling Office
Phone: 810-962-1505
autumn.foster@southfieldk12.org
Click Here to schedule a meeting with me