What is the OC Pathways Student Ambassador Program?

“Catalytic.”

That’s how former OC Pathways Student Ambassador Rosha Broomand recently described her experience in the student leadership program. 

Launched four years ago, the ambassador initiative is run by the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE). It’s open to Orange County students in grades seven through 12 who are taking, or have completed, Career Technical Education (CTE) classes. 

Not familiar with CTE? CTE classes are career-focused electives, often referred to as “pathways,” offered in subjects tied to specific industries, including healthcare, construction, business, and more. (See an overview of the 15 pathways here).

For one academic year, the selected student ambassadors represent their school and district to advocate for CTE and explore their career interests. Students work with mentors in local businesses and within OCDE, are exposed to industry innovators, grow leadership and speaking skills, and form a network and community beyond their school, according to the program’s website.

The program was the main focus during the OC Pathways Student Leadership Summit on July 30. About 200 people attended the event at the OCDE conference center, including former and current OC Pathways Student Ambassadors. 

During a panel discussion at the summit, Broomand and other former participants shared experiences and advice with an audience of people following in their footsteps – the next students embarking on their yearlong ambassadorship for the 2026-27 school year.

The alumnae characterized the ambassador program as a path to life-changing opportunities.

Broomand, an Irvine Unified School District alumna and current student at Chapman University studying to become a physician assistant, said her experiences with the ambassador program led her to pursue a minor in Leadership Studies in college.

Rosselyn Ruiz, a graduate of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District who took courses in construction at Estancia High School, described how networking opportunities through the program landed her in Sacramento advocating before state lawmakers. Ruiz aspires to run for public office and plans to study political science as a first-year student at Orange Coast College in the fall.

Rylee Robles, a graduate of the Los Alamitos Unified School District who took engineering CTE courses in high school, said her time as an ambassador opened doors for her to explore artificial intelligence, even working on a podcast on the topic and speaking at numerous conferences. Currently at the University of San Diego studying industrial engineering, she hopes to someday work for Disney as an Imagineer. 

“It really did change my life,” Rylee said of the program during a brief interview at the summit. She said her favorite parts are the community she formed with fellow ambassadors from other schools and her relationships with mentors. “You meet so many different educators, you actually get ten mentors,” she said with a smile. 

Her mother Angela Robles agreed. “It offers so many opportunities to explore and it is inclusive,” she said. “It’s for the student that hasn’t quite figured out their path and for the student with a specific career in mind.” 

Rylee was among the inaugural cohort of just ten students when the ambassador program launched in the 2022-23 school year. The 2026-27 school year’s group has more than 100 students, including Rylee’s younger sister, Reese, a rising sophomore at Los Alamitos High School. 

The group represents nearly a dozen public school districts, and includes students from private and charter schools. Students apply for the opportunity and can also be recommended by a CTE instructor.

The OCDE said the aim is to select a group “that reflects the diversity of Orange County by representing middle and high school districts throughout the county, as well as each of California's CTE industry sectors.” (Applications for the 2027-28 OC Pathways Student Ambassador group are expected to open March 1, 2027.)

Veronica, a student at Valley High School in the Santa Ana Unified School District, shared that her culinary arts instructor noticed her leadership skills and suggested she apply for the ambassador position for the 2026-27 school year. “I was nervous,” Veronica recalled, but said she applied anyway. She said she has gained confidence meeting new people.

Veronica and her fellow ambassadors got their first taste of networking at the July 30 summit. Speakers included representatives from Blue Origin, Joby Aviation, Conservation X Labs, Clean Earth Rovers, Not Impossible Labs, and NASA’s Open Science initiative.

“We’re trying to expose [students] to industry leaders who can inspire them and their work,” Crystal Meyer, a coordinator with OC Pathways said in an interview at the summit. 

Meyer said students will also be able to participate in the ocMaker Challenge and the annual OC Pathways Showcase, an event highlighting the collaborations between education and business leaders in the service of students and the Orange County workforce.

Students can also speak on panels or at conferences. In April, Reese and another ambassador presented at a conference addressing the topic: “Busting the Myths: What K-12 Students Really Think about A.I. and Learning."

"People are always looking for student voices," Meyer said of the demand for ambassadors to join panels.

New this year, ambassadors will complete an Impact Project where they will identify a need or problem in their school or community and design a solution.

Michelle, an incoming freshman at Cypress High School in the Anaheim Union High School District, is part of the 2026-27 ambassadors. She said she hopes to improve her leadership skills this year. Her goal is to also strengthen relationships in her campus community. “Not everybody knows each other,” Michelle said of her school. “I want to find a way to bring everybody together.” 

Another ambassador for this year, Lidia, is a rising senior in the Orange Unified School District studying the patient care pathway at Orange High School. She is looking to collaborate with others on innovations in medicine and healthcare. “I want to build better connections in the community,” she said.

Veronica from Santa Ana said her hope is to show her peers the benefits of cooking and studying culinary arts. “It’s for everyone,” she said.

OC Pathways mentor and Project Specialist Nadia Khodadadi said the newest class of ambassadors will have a lot of support along the way, whatever their Impact Project turns out to be.

“We encourage you and push you to be out of your comfort zone,” Khodadadi said. “You never know where that will lead you.”