Many electives are underrated; some are even unheard of. There are numerous electives students can take at Chantilly Academy that help them advance on a wide range of career paths. Students are exposed to real-life situations and experiences, giving them an idea of what their future job could look like. Currently, I am taking my second year of an elective at Chantilly Academy, a pharmacy technician class. I am one of three academy students and the only one in my class coming from South Lakes. More students need to learn about the benefits of this class; it has a lot to offer, more than many may think. 

Beneficial aspects of this class are the opportunities it gives you. Once you complete two years of the elective, you can officially become certified to get a job as a pharmacy technician. There is a high demand for technicians in numerous grocery stores and hospitals. It is a fantastic job opportunity, with the starting wage around $15 an hour. This course also offers many volunteer opportunities. These opportunities include volunteering at Giant or Walgreens pharmacy. Additionally, you can become a volunteer without any type of certification, you just have to be a part of the elective. This is a chance to earn service hours for school and to real-life gain experience. 

Junior, Dana Sivick, feels that “the information is very useful; I know these are real-life scenarios that could occur on the job.” Her favorite part about the class is practicing filling prescriptions and IV bags, along with the fact that “it’s an easy class, and we have a lot of free time.” Dana is taking the final year of the course, and after this year, she is going to take an exploring medical language and science elective. Chantilly has many healthcare-related electives along with other career paths. She plans to volunteer this summer. 

We need to spread the word about these electives, as their benefits are going unnoticed. If you want an idea of what a specific career would look like, a perfect thing to do would be to take an academy class. Many overlook Chantilly Academy classes, as they are not talked about enough. Our school has a wide variety of students with different interests, and we need to explore these courses more.