meetings twice per year, along with pathway-specific departmental committee meetings, ensuring that programming remains aligned with workforce realities. This feedback loop supports two goals: meeting employer needs and helping students envision themselves building careers locally so they will return to the county after education or training. Agriculture remains a cornerstone pathway, but the district has expanded trades programming aggressively in response to a generational workforce shift. Career and Technical Education Director Dana Russell explains that many trades professionals in the area are reaching retirement age, creating an urgent need to develop new local talent. In a rural mountain region where it is difficult to attract large outside contractors, local trades businesses rely on skilled workers who can eventually take leadership roles or start their own companies. In response, the district expanded offerings beyond extends support beyond only at-risk learners. Mentors meet with students four times a year during the school day, helping them explore goals, career interests, and postsecondary planning, while also connecting students to school-based and external resources when needed. The program’s strength is continuity. Students now entering their junior year have been supported through multiple years of mentorship, allowing conversations to evolve from general aspiration to concrete planning around academics, testing, dual enrollment, scheduling, and future options. For a rural district, Trojan TRAX has become a powerful bridge between education and community investment. CAREER PATHWAYS BUILT WITH LOCAL INDUSTRY Weaver points out that Career and Technical Education is a central pillar of Alleghany County Schools’ strategy, and it is continuously shaped through ongoing collaboration with the community. The district holds business advisory committee Left to right: Travis Sturgill- AHS Principal, Dana Russell- CTE Director, Melissa Weaver-Superintendent and Melissa Vestal, Alleghany Ed. Foundation Director 307 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 07, ISSUE 02 ALLEGHANY COUNTY SCHOOLS
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