USCHS students explore technology-based career pathways
Sept. 25, 2023
The Mobile Experience was coordinated by Monica Erwin, science teacher and USC Esports sponsor.
“After an introduction to the university, the students were able to interact with all of the technology on the truck,” Mrs. Erwin said. “This was a good fit for the students because it exposed them to different career pathways and also the opportunities at Full Sail University.”
A wide variety of students participated in 40-minute sessions throughout the school day.
“USC Esports and interested Parkway students attended during ART,” Mrs. Erwin said. “Other classes that participated were Fashion Design, Advanced Robotics, Intro to 2D Art, Childcare, Digital Art, and also the Smart Desk students.”
Full Sail University staff presented different opportunities in the music, movie production, and gaming fields, including the production and business-side of the industry.
“Students were surprised at the opportunities available in the different industries that were presented,” Mrs. Erwin said. “This gave students options for different pathways they may not have known even existed and/or how to pursue that pathway or interest.
Last fall, Mrs. Erwin was named a 2022-23 Scholastic eSports Fellow by the Network of Academic Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF) and will be serving as a Scholastic eSports Mentor for NASEF throughout the 2023-2024 school year. She has served as the sponsor for the USC Esports Club since its inception a few years ago. During this time, USC Esports has grown from a few members to over 50 active members.
“We are adding new game titles each year and competing on two different platforms,” she said. “This year the club is also focusing on career pathways, healthy gaming habits, college and scholarship opportunities, international connections through gaming, fundraising, organizing in-school tournaments as well as competing within a state league and an east coast league.”
Mrs. Erwin is looking forward to growing USC Esports in order to offer more opportunities to students.
“USC Esports is more than just gaming, it is a way for students to connect, to develop soft skills such as teamwork, cooperation, and creative thinking, as well as a way to develop new skills such as shoutcasting, content creation, and streaming,” she said.
Located in Winter Park, Florida, Full Sail University offers associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees designed for the world of entertainment media and emerging technologies.
