December 2023 Guest blogger: Chris Walker, Principal Muncie Central High School

Remember being asked “what do you want to be when you grow up”?  What resources did you have available to help truly answer this question?  What experiences did you have that helped shape what you wanted to do after high school?  Students at Muncie Central High School are narrowing the focus on being able to answer this question. 

During the 2023-2024 school year, MCHS students are experimenting with a four-step approach to exploring what they may want to do after graduation.  This process has been implemented for the first time by partnering with Dr. Ben Angelo from Ball State University, students in accounting classes at BSU’s Miller College of Business, and Richard Crist who is the Chief Operating Officer for Whitinger and Company. 

Step 1:  MCHS students complete a career aptitude assessment using YouScience, www.youscience.com.  Students complete a series of 11 inventories that help them discover their aptitudes and interests, and careers that are best suited for both. 

Step 2:  After completing the YouScience inventories, MCHS staff arranged for students and faculty from BSU to meet with our high school students that had a high aptitude or interest in a career in accounting. 

Step 3:  MCHS students were invited to attend a day long visit on the campus of Ball State to learn more about life on campus with a specific focus on what an accounting student will experience in college. 

Step 4:  MCHS students will visit with Richard and his team at Whitinger’s Muncie location for a job shadow experience to see firsthand what life is like working in the accounting field.   

After completing this process, high school students will have a better understanding of what accountants do, what the preparation program entails to become an accountant, and can now plan the rest of their high school experience to make a successful transition in the next phase of their educational journey.  We are extremely excited to build more partnerships like the one described here to help our students find out what they want to be when they grow up!