At Fenton High, students are offered the option of attending The Genesee Career Institute (GCI) instead of taking courses at Fenton High. According to the GCI home page, GCI provides instruction and experiential learning in many career areas that help prepare students for immediate entry into the workforce after high school.

“The career institute experience is an education that closely resembles vocational training which is why it’s beneficial,” junior Mason Church said. “It’s helped me prepare for the future. I want to be in the military out of high school and I think a basic law enforcement class would be helpful.”

Numerous courses are offered at GCI, making it easy for students to find a course that matches  their future career. However, risks that come with taking GCI could deter some students away from the institute.

“Each student’s post-high school plans have to be taken into consideration when deciding whether attending GCI is the right choice,” counselor Craig Golembiewski said. “GCI essentially counts for elective credit. Four-year colleges/universities, especially selective or highly selective colleges, would prefer students to take FHS core academic classes: math, science, social studies, english, world language, as opposed to GCI.”

Although some colleges have preferences over GCI, the hands-on work GCI provides can be beneficial for certain students. 

“There really is a lot to like about GCI, but the key is that it must mesh well with your post-high school plans,” Golembiewski said. “Participating in two years of any GCI program will typically lead to multiple certifications, lots of work-based learning opportunities, and sometimes college credits and/or a State of Michigan certification, such as Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) or Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or Cosmetology License.”

Overall, GCI has its pros and cons. When considering taking a course at GCI, post-high school plans must be taken into account to get the most out of the opportunities GCI offers.