Educator steers students to work

Vickie Cadby has been a teacher at Moses Lake High School for 29 years and counting. She started her career teaching home and family life, then decided it was time for a change and the opportunity came up for her to teach community resource training and since she had the qualifications she took the job.

Community resource training, now known as worked-based learning, is a program that focuses on students and career pathways. Open to junior and senior high school students, worked-based learning gives students the opportunity to develop their careers that a traditional classroom would not be able to provide. The program allows students to jump into the work force and get high school credit for it.

It also allows them to learn "what expectations employers have of their employees," Cadby, the worked-based learning coordinator for MLHS, said. Students can participate in numerous career choices including veterinarians' offices, attorneys' offices, the police department, engineering, health care and teaching.

"I have had students in my program who are now doctors, attorneys, plumbers, electricians and some of my students are teachers at Moses Lake High School," Cadby said.

Cadby is a graduate of Columbia Basin College and Central Washington University. She received her bachelor's degree in family and consumer science in education at CWU then went to City University where she received her masters of education curriculum for supervision.

Cadby decided to become a teacher when she was in kindergarten.

"My mom told me from kindergarten on that I would tell her I was going to become a teacher, but being a teacher didn't solidify in my mind until I was in high school," Cadby said. "Then I thought I should be a teacher because I was bored with school and thought I could do better. Besides, when you're around high school students it keeps you young at heart."

When asked about the best part of her job, Cadby quickly replied, "The students and co-workers I work with; also working with the community to better the student's education."

As high school seniors rapidly approach graduation, Cadby has some advice.

"Find a career that you love and enjoy. Money is great, but you have to like your job, otherwise you're not going to have a very satisfied life. Do something you love."

"Life is an adventure and I have learned through my life adventure that faith, family, friends and laughter are what are really important," said Cadby.