Regional Occupational Programs (ROP) offer students experience in vocational endeavors that correspond to their interests. ROP career specialist and new member of the counseling department Pa Shia Escoto aids students in making appropriate selections among the myriad of courses available.

“Every child in the end will have a career. Which path they take may be different from each other, but ultimately, helping them, promoting different facets of how to get there is one of the things [I] can do,” Escoto said. 

ROP classes teach students skills immediately applied in careers, functioning as pathways to discover and potentially pursue occupational fields. Pa Shia Escoto’s hopes to match each student with the right one stems from her own experience in school.

“I took ROP when I was in high school, and in college as well. I saw for myself the benefits it gave me, especially the skill sets I used when I was a young adult,” Escoto said. “I wanted to open doors for people who don’t know what ROP is, because after all, it teaches you so many skills for free.”

According to Escoto, Portola High School’s innovative nature was the primary aspect that appealed to her, aligning with her beliefs on fostering career-oriented education. 

“Portola is a new school, one that is very hands-on in ensuring every child will be prepared with skills they will use whether they go to college or trade school,” Escoto said.