Begin With the End in Mind

The Capstone, In Detail

Everything you do in bootcamp and during your placement builds toward one afternoon at the end of the semester. Here's exactly what that looks like, so nothing about it is a surprise.

Part 1
Your Booth

You'll have a table or display space to show what you actually did during your Field Experience — not a summary of the course, but evidence of your specific placement. What's on it depends heavily on what kind of work you did.

Every booth needs
  • A name placard with your name, placement, and career cluster
  • A printed or digital copy of your resume
  • Photos from your placement (with permission — ask your supervisor early)
  • A one-page summary of what you did, in your own words
Depending on your placement
  • Hands-on/creative work (arts, manufacturing, agriculture): bring physical samples or a portfolio of what you made or built
  • Office/service work (business, health, human services): bring a project you contributed to, a process you documented, or data/outcomes you can speak to
  • Digital work (IT, communications): bring a laptop or tablet set up to show your work directly
Setup expectations
  • Arrive at the time your teacher sets — booths need to be fully set up before doors open, not while guests are walking in
  • Professional appearance — same standard as your mock interview, not just "nice for school"
  • You're staffing the booth the entire time. This isn't a poster you walk away from — you're talking to every person who stops
Part 2
Your 90-Second Stage Talk

At some point during the event, you'll be called to the stage or front of the room for a timed talk — 90 seconds, prompted questions, no notes on a phone. This is your final elevator pitch: practiced, earned, and specific to what you actually did.

~15 sec
Who and where
Your name, your placement, your career cluster — fast, no wind-up.
~30 sec
What you actually did
Not your job title — a specific project, task, or responsibility you owned. Specific beats impressive.
~30 sec
What you learned or how you grew
Reference something real — a mistake, a skill that clicked, something your pre/post self-assessment shows. This is the part people remember.
~15 sec
What's next
Where this points you — a career interest confirmed, changed, or opened up. Close with confidence, not "yeah that's it."
Example — Health Sciences placement

"Hi, I'm Jordan, and I spent my semester at Batavia Animal Hospital in the Health Sciences cluster. Most days I was restraining animals for exams, cleaning and prepping treatment rooms, and by the end I was trusted to walk new clients through post-surgery care instructions on my own. The moment that stuck with me was the first time a vet asked my opinion on a case — not because I knew the answer, but because I'd shown up enough that she trusted me to think it through with her. Going in, I thought I wanted human medicine. Now I'm looking hard at veterinary school instead."

Part 3
Your Portfolio

Everything you build across bootcamp and your placement gets pulled together here — this is what's available at your booth and what backs up your stage talk.

Resume — your final version from Phase 1, uploaded to LinkedIn
Elevator pitch video — from Phase 2
Employability skills growth — your pre- and post-assessment results side by side
Weekly reflection highlights — pick 2-3 that show real growth, not just logistics
Photos from your placement — with supervisor permission
Follow-up and thank-you emails — evidence of professional communication
A work sample or project — whatever's appropriate to your placement type
Your Launch Card — the goal you committed to on Day 1 of your placement
Logistics
The Audience & the Room
Who's there
Community members, business partners and employers (including your own supervisor, if they can make it), administrators, teachers, and other students' families. This is a real audience, not a classroom.
Format
Open booth walkthrough where guests circulate and talk with you directly, plus a scheduled block of stage talks. Your teacher will share the exact schedule closer to the date.
Dress code
Professional — the same bar as your mock interview. If you're unsure, ask your teacher or check with your placement supervisor what's appropriate for your industry.
Why it matters
This is the moment your semester becomes visible to the people who might hire, recommend, or mentor you next. Treat it that way from Day 1 — everything in bootcamp is building toward this afternoon.
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