Kylie Drunasky | Student Life Editor
March 17, 2026
College and Career Advantage (CCA) is a program that helps students gain career skills before they even graduate from high school. There are countless courses that are specialized in any field to prepare students for college and the workforce. Some of these courses can even offer internships, certifications, and college credit. Senior Amelia Villarete took several courses related to the medical field, and stated that she “learned so much from teachers that were knowledgeable, kind, and patient” and believes that “these classes were a big part [of her] getting into [her] top choices of colleges.”
These classes are currently available to sign up for and are available to all students at no cost. Take a look at the list of CCA classes offered and sign up fast as spots are filling up. Here are some of those classes.
Cyber security is a great honors class to try out in order to obtain skills to enter the cyber security workforce. The class teaches students cyber law and policy, networking technology basics, risk assessment, cryptography, and many more tools. It prepares students to verify their technical abilities through the CompTIA security. You can earn 5 credits by attending this class on Mondays and Wednesdays at Tesoro High School from 4:00-6:30.
Another interesting class that has open spots is Horticulture Science, with classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00-6:30 at the Adult Transition Program in SJC. The class introduces students to the science and environmental aspects behind growing plants. Students learn the function of plants and how they interact within ecosystems, exploring both the environmental and aesthetic purposes of horticulture. Horticulture science covers many unique topics, such as greenhouse and nursery operations, soil, irrigation, fruit and vegetable production, turf and golf course management, and plant landscaping. What makes this class stand out is that most of the work is spent outside, making it a fun atmosphere. The class is a year long as well, meaning you can earn up to 10 credits with 5 credits each semester.
Medical Innovation, Research and Entrepreneurship (MIRE) is an honors and weighted class that teaches a large variety of skills that can be applied to the biotech/med-tech industry. The class combines material from science, research, artificial intelligence, law, and entrepreneurship. Students learn to innovate and solve different problems, presenting their ideas to industry leaders. MIRE is an online class that requires availability on Tuesdays and Thursdays for Zoom calls.
Thinking of working in the pharmacy setting? The Pharmacy Clerk CCA class teaches students pharmaceutical terminology as well as workplace skills like customer service, insurance billing, and retail pharmacy operations. Students will learn the terminology that is used in healthcare settings, safety practices, and responsibilities that are expected as a Pharmacy Clerk. Common Core State Standards and Career Technical Education Standards are included throughout the course to ensure that all students are familiar with communication, technology, ethics, career planning, and other skills that would be essential for this profession. This class is located at the College and Career Training Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00-6:30.
The last class of many CCA classes that are looking for students is Medical Terminology. Junior Ryan Cuenca, who is currently taking Medical Terminology, stated that she appreciates “the consistent due dates which make it easy to follow.” This class is dual enrolled with Saddleback and is fully online, making a Saddleback application required. Students learn the structure of medical terms and the roots, suffixes, and combining forms of each word. This class is a great way for students who are interested in the medical field to learn terms that could be used throughout their profession.
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