ST. PARIS – Graham High School students will be choosing from new foreign language options.

As Graham puts more emphasis on personalized pathways, it is important for students to have multiple options. “German and French are two of the most recognized languages in business and diplomacy around the world. Now, our students can be exposed to global languages to prepare them for jobs of the future that local companies like Honda, Rittal, and Honeywell look for in prospective employees,” stated Joe Hurst, the district’s Secondary Coordinator.

According to Superintendent Kirk Koennecke, “German was a popular language taught at Graham for years. When the cuts to the budget came, it really hurt, as this program was lost. To be able to add this back with no new staff addition is a wonderful opportunity.”

French will be taught by current teacher Kristen Ruzicka, who is certified in the language and looking forward to building a strong program.

Koennecke stated these elective courses are in demand. “We have heard from local companies about their sales force needs, from local colleges with language programs, and from parents and students who have ties to these cultures historically in the county.”

The school is also unveiling its new Teacher Prep program, a Logistics and Supply Chain Management program, and Precision Agriculture for students. “To expand our programming into these high-demand career paths is exciting for our students and staff. The better-rounded our students are, the more competitive they are,” said Hurst.

“Graham Local Schools has made a commitment to our community to embrace career pathways. There is no more prevalent way to prepare students than to teach them global language skills and literacy to go along with their other core academic skills,” said Koennecke.