North Star students organize successful Rock the Trades event

March 11, 2026

The rock-solid work ethic of North Star High School students like Natalie and Jenny resulted in many career rewards for their classmates this winter.
 
Two hundred Navigators learned about a wide assortment of trades-based jobs at the annual Rock the Trades Career Fair. SkillsUSA members worked with advisor Amanda Woodward to plan all aspects of this year’s event. Their managerial talents attracted 37 employers, schools and industry organizations to North Star’s campus, which was an increase of 12 from the previous year.
 
Natalie and Jenny said it was fun to watch everything fall into place as their classmates walked into the Aviation and Technical Education Focus Program’s hangar.
 
“It’s so cool,” Natalie said. “It’s a lot different than previous years, because last year we didn’t do much planning, but this year we did a lot. We worked on this months in advance.”
 
“It makes me feel very accomplished, actually,” Jenny said. “I’m very happy I can see other students who I might not have talked to before and ask them, ‘Hey, what are you interested in? What are you doing?’ It’s very fun being able to speak to them.”

 
SkillsUSA members met with school counselors, librarians and advisors this past summer to begin planning the 2026 event. They set up logistical information such as the date, time and location of Rock the Trades, and they asked dozens of Lincoln-area companies if they would be interested in attending.
 
After learning that more than 30 industry professionals would be coming, the Navigators mapped out spots for tables in three sections of the focus program’s building. They designed and placed promotional posters for Rock the Trades throughout the school, and they assisted companies with their needs during the event. They helped them set up booths that included business-related materials, virtual reality equipment and large and small electrical items.
 
Ashlee Harms said she and other industry representatives appreciated those efforts. Harms is a human resources manager at Lincoln-based TCMO, which provides fabrication, machining, welding, assembly and power coating services to customers. She said Woodward’s passion for helping students learn about trades has led to many fruitful conversations with them.
 
“I’ve been out here quite a bit the past few years since I’ve been in this role,” Harms said. “Amanda has been great to work with, and she really pushes the trades here. This is always a great place for us to get our name out there.”
 
Sofia Becerra said she was pleased with the number of students wanting to learn about workplace settings. Becerra is a talent acquisition specialist at Kidwell, which provides information technology and electrical contracting services in town. Kidwell’s headquarters is located less than a half mile from North Star’s campus.
 
“I’ve seen a lot of interest from students who are wanting to get their foot into an industry and are wanting to start early,” Becerra said. “I’ve seen a lot of eager students. The students here have taken more business cards than sometimes when I go to colleges. It’s amazing to see young individuals take that kind of approach and want to get their careers started right away.”

 
Becerra said she was also impressed with the detailed questions that the Navigators asked her. She said they wanted to know about the company’s 401(k) program, what benefits were offered and what types of educational classes were available.
 
“It makes me feel really good,” Becerra said. “It’s amazing to see kids that not only care about their future, but also the culture in a company. They want to be with a good company that takes care of their employees, so it’s awesome to see that responsibility and those values already instilled in students.”
 
Natalie said those one-on-one exchanges were a key reason why she has enjoyed coming to Rock the Trades the past four years. She said the get-togethers have helped her expand her vision of working in an aviation career. She and other Navigators have increased their networking circles, learned about internship and apprenticeship opportunities and discovered dozens of potential job pathways.
 
“It’s more than just a career fair,” Natalie said. “It’s something that’s above and beyond.”
 
Natalie’s leadership skills are also paying off in the short term. She and several teammates will submit their Rock the Trades organizational materials in this year’s Nebraska SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Championships. They would like to earn a state award in the Community Service Project category and do well at nationals.

 
“It just seemed like a fun thing to do for our senior project,” Natalie said. “I think it’s going great today.”
 
Jenny said the smiles she saw from her friends and classmates at Rock the Trades made all of the hard work worth it.
 
“I just enjoy seeing people learn about opportunities they probably would never have seen before,” Jenny said. “Trades careers are a graduation pathway that people can take, and I’m not sure people are aware of that. Rock the Trades is really helpful for them.”
 
Discover how Career and Technical Education classes are putting LPS students in prime positions for future jobs.
 
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