Washougal High hosts first Pathways conference

Washougal — Washougal High School staffers were looking to bring a more personal approach to the standard Career Day, and hosted the Business and Marketing Pathways Conference in May. “The experience was designed to look and feel like a professional conference they might attend as a part of their career,” Lisa Leonard, the district’s career specialist, said in a news release. “It included registering for sessions, checking in, wearing a name tag, listening to a keynote presentation and working through a schedule of speakers.” After a morning of speakers, students loaded buses to visit the offices of Net Rush in Vancouver and Fuel Medical in Camas, as well as Clark College to learn about continuing education opportunities. Stephanie Lynn, owner of Sweet Spot Skirts in Vancouver, gave the keynote speech, talking to students about her path as an entrepreneur designing, creating and marketing sports skirts. This was the first year of the conference, and the plan for the upcoming school year is to focus on careers in hospitality, tourism and human services, Leonard said.