More Than a Class: How CTE at UA Maker Prepares Students for the Future
As ninth graders begin planning for sophomore year, one major decision stands out: which Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway to choose and how that choice may shape their future.
At UA Maker, students can choose from several CTE pathways, including Computer Science, Digital Media (Design), and the evolving Urban Agriculture program. Each pathway offers unique skills and hands-on experiences, from coding and game design to graphic design, woodworking, and opportunities to collaborate with industry professionals.
For many students, choosing a pathway is not just about selecting a class. It is about discovering their interests, building skills, and preparing for future careers or college opportunities. While Computer Science and Digital Media are established pathways, Urban Agriculture is still developing as a program within the school.
Urban Agriculture is still in the process of becoming an official CTE pathway. For now, all freshmen take the course, and seniors can choose to enroll in it regardless of their selected pathway.
The Urban Agriculture program offers a unique experience for students in New York City. “Urban Agriculture is exciting because we’ve never had farming here. Most students don’t get exposure to it, so this is a big opportunity,” said Ridwan Olatilewa, a CTE teacher at UA Maker.
Olatilewa also emphasized the broader value of the program. “Urban agriculture teaches life skills like growing your own food that are useful no matter what job you have,” he said.
Cory Behroozi, the Freshman and Senior Farm Teacher at UA Maker, explained that students gain both technical and social knowledge through the program. “Students learn about hydroponic systems and how to operate them,” he said. “We also study food systems more broadly, including agriculture, distribution, food justice, and sustainability.”
Behroozi added that the pathway allows students to make real-world impact. “This pathway allows students to explore ways to make tangible changes in the world by affecting how people eat and their access to healthy food,” he said.
Cayden Betzig, a programming and math teacher at UA Maker, encouraged students to think carefully about how they choose their courses. “Instead of focusing on earning multiple pathway stamps, I encourage students to think about what skills and courses they actually want to explore,” he said.
Across all pathways, students are encouraged to solve real-world problems. “At Maker, we focus on solving problems, not just typing code,” Olatilewa explained. “We prepare students for real careers.”
Computer Science courses include Video Game Programming, Physical Computing, and Python Programming, where students build projects and develop technical skills.
Students say their pathway choices are often based on personal interests and experiences.
“I really don't like text-based coding, which is what I found out during CTE last year, so I decided not to choose that pathway,” said Colin Cameron, a 10th grader who chose Digital Media. “I like graphic design.”
Oscar Lee, a 10th grader who chose Computer Science, said the interactive nature of the pathway appealed to him. “You can interact more with things,” he said. “In game programming, you create interactive projects, learn how to code, and understand more about technology.”
“I chose digital media because it was the most interesting to me,” said Evelyn Campos, a 10th grader. “I like drawing and coming up with ideas to create designs.”
Digital Media focuses on creativity and visual storytelling, but its applications extend far beyond traditional design careers. “Students traditionally could work in graphic design, advertising, or animation,” said Amanda Delaney, the Design Studio and Digital Animation teacher and UA Maker Class of 2018 alumna. “But people don’t always realize they can also pursue creative careers like cake design, tattoo artistry, or fashion.”
Delaney also highlighted how the program prepares students for college-level work. “One former student went to Syracuse and said her college work was almost exactly what we do here at Maker,” she said. “She was able to move through her design classes with confidence while many others struggled.”
For students deciding on a pathway, Delaney emphasized the importance of choosing based on personal interest. “My advice to ninth graders is not to pick something just because your friends are choosing it or because it seems easy,” she said. “Focus on what actually fits you.”
CTE programs can also influence students’ future career paths. “I've seen students pursue bioengineering or medical tech degrees because of their CTE classes,” said Claire Filipek, a special educator who teaches CTE Foundations and Senior Farm.
Nicole Cojuangco, a CTE teacher at UA Maker, emphasized that even students outside of specific pathways benefit from these courses. “For students who are not pursuing digital media or computer science, CTE still builds important tech skills, including basic tasks like file sharing and saving,” she said. “These are essential skills in a digital world.”
With the addition of Urban Agriculture and expanded hands-on opportunities, UA Maker continues to grow its CTE programs to better prepare students for both college and careers.