As a first-year Career Center Coordinator without any formal training I found myself wandering up the steeply sloped learning curve that came with the position - luckily I was riding Eureka up that slope. All of us have experienced this feeling of confusion at one time in our professional lives. In my case it was compounded by the fact that within weeks of being appointed to the position over 1700 teenagers would begin to look to me for advice on careers and colleges. Thanks to Eureka I created a comprehensive career education program that met the needs of each of those 1700 students. This essay is an explanation of that program and how Eureka enhances it.

The career education program at Atascadero High School relies heavily on the easy-to-use menus found within Eureka. My ten years of experience with teenagers proved to me that simplicity in design is synonymous with a program's success. Within minutes of reviewing Eureka I understood the menu options and I quickly prepared simple instruction sheets for the students so that they would likewise feel comfortable navigating Eureka. My planning worked and the kids enjoyed surfing for careers. Thanks EUREKA! You helped me to do my job better.

A second component of the program is personal electronic portfolios. When I embarked on my new position I dreamt of each student saving his/her annual career/college search information in a personal portfolio. At my school students are required to spend four hours each year in the career center. With Eureka's personal portfolio options my dream became reality. Each student can now easily revisit their previous year's work and reflect on their prior career interests- it's amazing how quickly these kids go from wanting to be a Veterinarian to an Extreme Sports Athlete. Anyway the portfolio helps keep me (and them) organized. Thanks EUREKA! You helped me do my job better.

The final component of the program I created is its individualized assignments. By designing a career education program that meets the needs of every student I was able to gain confidence in my ability to handle new material. Eureka's got it all. Kids who want to go to the military can research that option. College-bound kids are never bored on Eureka. Those wanting to go right to work are likewise intrigued by the data compiled within Eureka - especially the part where they find out how much a dry cleaner makes each year. I often find myself wandering through the myriad of careers and thinking what if? Thanks EUREKA! You helped me do my job better.

In the end it all comes down to options. Give a teenager an option and you have their attention. Eureka is loaded with options. It frees me up to work individually with students on their specific career needs. It allows the student the freedom to career search in a stress-free environment. Most of all the options in Eureka help kids understand that if you plan well then life after high school is not too mysterious and intimidating. When I was given the responsibility of choosing a career guidance system I looked at the others. I went on-line and ran demo versions. I even priced out the competition. In the final analysis I chose wisely and I chose correctly. Thanks EUREKA! You helped me do my job better!