Students and administrators at the Technical College High School Brandywine campus got the opportunity to interact with Pedro Rivera, the State Secretary of Education, during his visit on September 20.

The visit was part of the Wolf Administration’s “Schools That Teach” tour and the Secretary was given a warm reception on his arrival by a student panel and faculty administrators. The event began with a question and answer session where the Secretary was asked his views on a wide variety of topics including job opportunities and tips for college success.

“College is 90 percent time management and effort,” noted Rivera. “And you can’t follow money. If you pick a track you’re interested in, opportunity will follow.”

After the Q&A session, Rivera got the chance to tour the school where he could see first-hand the applied learning labs in areas as diverse as veterinary science and automotive service technology.

The morning was rounded off with a light brunch catered and served by TCHS culinary students. Over the meal, students and administrators got the chance to continue their informal interaction with Rivera.

Between bites, Rivera spoke about the Wolf administration’s efforts to reform graduation requirements and school performance profiles by taking a more holistic approach. The initiative would take several measurements into account instead of just focusing on the results of standard tests. He pointed out that this would allow schools to take vocational certificates and other factors into account at graduation time.

Students also took the time to inquire about more informal topics such as the Secretary’s life experiences and how his career developed. In response, Rivera opened up about growing up in North Philadelphia, his first job working full-time in a restaurant while still in high school, and being the first in his family to graduate college.

“The students were in awe to have such an intimate discussion with Secretary Rivera,” said TCHS administrator Michael Katch. “He shared both professional and personal experiences that inspired and complemented their career pathways.”

Check out previous VISTA Today coverage of the CCIU here.