Nucla High School Principal Josh Ledford shared with the Forum in an interview Feb. 20 that students from both Nucla and Norwood high schools were set to gather for Career Day 2026. Held at Nucla High School Monday, Feb. 23, from 9 a.m. to noon, the morning was designed to show students a range of possibilities for post-secondary plans.
On site were representatives from workforce agencies and colleges. Careflight landed their helicopter at 9 a.m. and explained their regional role. Tables were set up, so that students could visit with spokespersons from Colorado Mesa University, Colorado University-Boulder, Colorado State University, Technical College of the Rockies, the BLM, local emergency management systems, law enforcement agencies and more.
Ledford had shared with the Forum in previous conversations the importance of the school preparing the "successful Nucla graduate.”
“ — How we support our students and their goals,” Ledford said. “We are trying to create different pathways for kids to be able to explore, whether it’s straight to workforce, a technical college, a four-year college and everything in between.”
Ledford said the remoteness of Nucla can create barriers for kids to make college visits, and he’s pleased that he and school guidance counselor Debbie Wytulka secured so many people to instead travel to the West End.
Held in Nucla’s new auxiliary gym, all students in grades nine through 12 were invited from both rural high schools. Ledford said it’s important for young people to begin thinking about the future in advance. He agreed students have to plan for their GPA (grade-point average), certain class requirements and more.
“We set them up to think about it,” he said, “when they’re freshmen — not making commitments, but seeing what is out there and planning for what they’re interested in. It can change the way they look — ‘Why do I need to push and take more than my minimum graduation requirements?’”
Ledford said by the time students are juniors and seniors, it’s time to then be participating in internships, apprenticeships and work-based learning.
But, in the future, he said there’s been talk about including the eighth grade, so they begin to understand what academic expectations are for high school and that thinking about the future matters.
Ledford said the organizing part was not that difficult. He and Wytulka were happy to offer the space, and the majority of the work was inviting and confirming representatives, making sure tables were available in the gym. He added the real effort fell on the travelers, some of whom were driving several house to meet with young people in the West End.
“Fire Chief John Bockrath was also a huge help connecting me with local agencies who attended the event,” he said.
Overall, Ledford said he was happy for Nucla High School to offer these types of events.
“It’s good for the kids and fits in with the idea of the successful graduate, and we are getting the community and administration on same page, helping kids find out what they’re interested in and what careers — we are not funnelling them to them a certain path, like four-year college degrees,” Ledford said.
He added it only made sense to include Norwood High School students, and he was happy High School Principal Malisha Reed committed to bringing the Mavericks to share in the opportunity.
