Adelante High School senior Harley Hoehn has her future all planned out.

She’ll apply to Le Cordon Bleu in Sacramento and earn a degree. She’ll get some work experience and eventually start her own family style restaurant.

Hoehn, 18, previously was part of the advanced culinary program at Oakmont High School, and she has spent many hours fine-tuning menus and designs for her restaurant. Before she reaches her ultimate dream, she knows she still needs to develop her leadership, business and cooking skills.

Hoehn knows all of this because she’s researched her career path as part of the Career Connections class at Adelante, a program that began in January 2010.

“I want to be a chef, a bartender or a marine biologist,” Hoehn said. “Being a chef is something I’ve been passionate about for a while.”

Students take an aptitude test to gauge their interests, then research their chosen industry, leaning about the education and experience needed to achieve their goals. They also make business cards and prepare a resume.

“I had no idea how to do that (before),” Hoehn said.

Much of the class time is spent with students listening to speakers representing various job sectors. Students have heard from nearly 50 speakers this semester, said program coordinator Katie Palatinus.

That includes guests from Sutter Roseville Medical Center, U.S. Army, Placer County Office of Education, Roseville Transit, Placer Grown, Comcast, Folsom Prison, Hewlett Packard and Placer Valley Tourism.

“I think these kids need more than just math and science and social studies,” Palatinus said. “They need to talk to people and hear what’s out there.”

For the past decade, Adelante has received assistance from the Roseville Chamber of Commerce leadership classes in organizing educational and career workshops, training, internships and presentations, which culminate in an annual career fair.

In 2006, Chamber leadership members planted the seed for a self-sustaining vocational education program at Adelante, and later created an advisory board to make it happen.

Adelante High School has long offered a careers class for seniors as a graduation requirement. The student must make a short PowerPoint presentation about his career plan to his peers, teacher, vice principal and principal.

Senior Troy Allen, wearing a tie, presented in late January. His plan A is to become an auto-mechanic.

“The reason I chose this career is I like to work with my hands and I love cars,” Allen said.

He plans to attend WyoTech and earn an entry-level wage of $23,760. With more experience, he may earn $42,000 to $66,000, he said. His plan B is to go to California State University Long Beach and become an engineer.

“I know you’ve had some trials and tribulations that have happened to you,” Vice Principal Bridgette Dean told Allen after his presentation. “I’m really proud of you. I have no doubt you’re going to be successful regardless of the career you choose.”

Sena Christian can be reached at senac@goldcountrymedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at SenaC_RsvPT.