The Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) Career Education Department hosted its annual K-12 Summit on March 13 at Wilson Creek Winery, bringing together a full house of K-12 school administrators, counselors, teachers, and staff for a day of learning, collaboration, and student-focused innovation.
The summit, themed “Creating Your Own Luck: The Power of Preparation and Opportunity,” emphasized the critical role of education and career pathways in shaping students’ futures.
Representatives from K-12 districts served by MSJC (Beaumont, Banning, Hemet, Temecula, San Jacinto, Perris, Murrieta, Nuview, Menifee, Lake Elsinore, and Romoland) attended the event, which highlighted best practices for supporting students through Early College Credit opportunities, counseling, career readiness initiatives, and career pathways.
MSJC Vice President of Career Education and Nursing/Allied Health Joyce Johnson opened the summit by welcoming attendees and setting the tone for the day, emphasizing the collective responsibility in preparing students for the modern workforce.
The day began with breakfast and a keynote address from Matthew Elder, Director of the Riverside County Cal-SOAP (California Student Opportunity and Access Program) Consortium. Drawing from his experiences as a former basketball player and coach, Elder shared insights on building strong student support systems using team-centered strategies.
Throughout the day, attendees engaged in sessions covering crucial topics, including Early College Credit, the 2025-2026 Financial Aid application process, career pathway selection, aligning MSJC’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs with student success, healthcare career exploration, internship opportunities, and navigating the transition from MSJC to four-year universities.
A lunch provided a midday opportunity for attendees to connect before the day concluded with a networking hour, fostering new collaborations, and strengthening partnerships between K-12 institutions and MSJC.
