On Feb. 19, Bonita Vista Television (BVTV) and Intro to Multimedia teacher Hugo Martinez sent out an email school wide, regarding the two new college credits opportunities given to BVH students through the Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway. The first credit can be acquired by completing the Intro to Multimedia class with at least a B and the second can be acquired by continuing the CTE pathway and taking the TV & Film Digital Multimedia class, also known as BVTV.
Martinez has spent over a year collaborating with SUHSD to implement these credits at BVH. Finally, the Articulation Credit–a high school course which has been connected to college courses and in this case sponsored through Southwestern college–has been approved for the 2025-2026 school year.
“There has to be a joint effort between the school district and Southwestern College. It is a long process, but the district has been very happy with what we do here and the [CTE] pathway. This is going to mean a lot of future opportunities for students, like having new connections with Southwestern College professors. We are still working very hard in order for kids to have the edge,” Martinez said.
Now that students have become aware of these opportunities, Martinez hopes more students decide to pursue the CTE pathway. By doing this, students will not only gain experience but connections with experts in the field. IB Coordinator Jared Phelps also urges students to consider a CTE course.
“CTE is supposed to support both career [and] college readiness. CTE is a statewide program and our district has leadership over CTE programs. One of the goals of that district leadership over CTE is to try and set up Articulation, [which they have],” Phelps said.
Students recently signed up for their classes next school year, those who plan to enroll in Intro to Multimedia or BVTV will now have the opportunity to earn college credit. Sophomore Briella Fernandez is currently taking BVTV and has already taken Intro to Multimedia. She shares her appreciation for the new opportunity given to BVH students.
“I enjoyed Intro to Multimedia, but when I got the invitation to join BVTV, I obviously accepted it. It is just a fun class. I enjoy the work that we do, and I think I do want to have a career somewhere in that area, so it’s going to help me a lot [later on],” Fernandez said.
The class helps students get ahead in school. Martinez aimed to provide these credits to give students an advantage and allow them to pursue something with an even greater edge. This advantage will eventually give students more recognition and credit in college.
“That is two college classes students will not have to pay for later—a great way to get ahead and save money. These credits are transferable to Cal State and UC schools, giving our students a major advantage for college. This is a fantastic opportunity for students looking to build their college applications, gain real-world experience and get a head start on their higher education journey,” Martinez said via email.
Martinez hopes the classes will support students’ growth by improving their work skills and providing them with the opportunity to learn something new. These two credits make the CTE pathway more appealing and more achievable. Fernandez feels that she has gained and acquired new skills through the CTE classes and hopes to continue it in the near future.
“[The classes] really helped me in my work ethic, working with other people, meeting deadlines and finding different solutions to different problems. As well, I [have learned to] just really think outside the box,” Fernandez said.
Now that the process is completed and BVH has gained the Articulation Credit, Martinez hopes to spread the word across SUHSD and gain more students interested in the CTE pathway. He expects for students to leave with a great experience knowing that these new credits will benefit their future careers and professions.
“The scholastic experience for our students is great. When [students] graduate with those two college credits under their belt, that is going to help them a lot when they move on in many aspects. They already have the experience so they can move on to more challenging classes in college,” Martinez said.
