Meet Jem: Graduating Early, Leading Loudly and Designing Her Future 

At Idaho Technical Career Academy, students are encouraged to explore their passions, chase their goals and carve out unique paths. For Jem, that path has been anything but ordinary. 

A member of the Class of 2025, Jem is not only graduating a year ahead of schedule — she’s doing so as the salutatorian of her class. From earning industry certifications in graphic design to being selected to serve as an Idaho FFA Foundation state ambassador — building connections with industry leaders, assisting with convention activities and helping tell the FFA story — her high school experience is a powerful example of what’s possible when talent meets opportunity. 

Designing a Creative Future 

For as long as she can remember, Jem has been drawn to visual storytelling. That love of design has shaped her academic focus and future plans. She’ll attend Boise State University this fall to pursue a bachelor of fine arts in graphic design, with the long-term goal of working as a freelancer. 

Through ITCA’s business career pathway, Jem earned professional certifications in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign — industry-recognized tools that form the foundation of most creative careers. She’s applied those skills in meaningful ways throughout her time at ITCA, from designing student council presentation slides to creating mock campaigns, animations and photography projects through Business Professionals of America (BPA). 

These experiences have helped her explore her creative strengths while building a portfolio that reflects real-world readiness. 

Where Agriculture and Creativity Intersect 

While graphic design is her primary passion, Jem also discovered an unexpected opportunity to grow as a leader through FFA. Jem Erepresented ITCA through the FFA Ambassador Program, a leadership opportunity that focuses on professional development and student networking. 

Combined with her experience in BPA and National Technical Honor Society, Jem’s involvement across multiple organizations has helped her develop skills that extend far beyond the classroom. 

“It helps you to build up your career before you even start it,” she said. “It just gives me more experience to grow as a leader and to grow as a worker.” 

These kinds of opportunities are part of ITCA’s broader Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs, which connect students with future-ready training across business, IT, health science and more. 

Pacing Her Path, Her Way 

Jem enrolled in ITCA after attending a different online school that no longer worked for her needs. What she found at ITCA was a flexible structure that allowed her to grow academically and creatively. With encouragement and guidance from her adviser, she charted a course to graduate early — something she accomplished through hard work, time management and focus. 

Now, she’s preparing to deliver a speech as salutatorian and is looking ahead to the opportunities college will bring. She also plans to study abroad while at Boise State to expand her creative perspective and learn from international design cultures. 

“I can learn more about another culture and just research how they do their own graphics there and their own marketing,” she said. 

At ITCA, students like Jem are discovering what’s possible when education meets flexibility, career preparation and personalized learning. From early graduation to professional certifications and student leadership, Jem’s story is one of thoughtful ambition — and it’s just getting started. 

Explore ITCA’s career pathways or visit our How to Enroll page now to learn how you can design your future — just like Jem. 

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