August 14, 2026
When Aeden Dishneau graduated from Whitmer High School in Toledo, Ohio, he knew he had a passion for technology. Having completed a Career Tech certification in computer networking, he had developed valuable technical skills, but like many recent graduates, he was still figuring out what came next.
“I was kind of coming out of high school a little confused,” Aeden said. “I didn’t know what I fully wanted to do.”
That uncertainty led him to Junior Achievement’s Fifth Year program, an innovative experience that gives students an additional year to explore careers, gain professional skills, and participate in paid internships before making major decisions about college and career pathways.
Through the Fifth-Year program, Aeden was introduced to Future Plans and the first two steps of our Five-Step Process: Assess and Coach.
Discovering Strengths Through Assessment
Like many students, Aeden approached the Future Plans assessment with a mix of curiosity and nervousness. However, he quickly found that the results validated interests he had already begun to develop while also connecting those interests to real-world opportunities.
“I always liked science, and the assessment reinforced that idea,” he explained. “It took my interests and skills and actually put careers with them. It aligned my strengths with real-world careers.”
Rather than providing generic career recommendations, the assessment helped Aeden better understand how his interests, abilities, and personality traits could translate into meaningful career paths.
For a student navigating important life decisions, that insight proved invaluable.
The Power of Career Coaching
While the assessment provided direction, coaching helped transform that direction into action.
For Aeden, the coaching sessions were his first experience working one-on-one with a career coach.
“It showed me the different paths I could take and how to reach them,” he said. “It actually showed me the finish line and the end point.”
During his coaching sessions, Aeden and his coaches reviewed his assessment results, discussed career options, and identified opportunities that aligned with both his technical background and emerging interests. Together, they created a personalized action plan with clear milestones and achievable goals.
One area that stood out was social media and digital marketing.
Although Aeden had developed strong IT skills through his computer networking coursework, coaching helped him recognize an interest in the marketing and content creation space as well.
His coaches helped him break that larger career aspiration into manageable next steps, including building a short-form content portfolio and gaining practical experience.
“Instead of just trying to figure it out on my own, I had a set plan,” Aeden said. “It made me feel better knowing there was an actual outline of what I was able to achieve.”
Turning a Plan into Experience
The coaching process didn’t stop at identifying goals. It helped Aeden put those goals into practice.
Following the action plan developed during coaching, Aeden began creating content for the Fifth-Year program’s social media channels. The experience allowed him to build a portfolio while developing real-world skills that could support future marketing opportunities.
At the same time, he completed internships with NEMSIS, an IT services company, where he gained experience on both the technical and marketing sides of the business.
His role evolved into a hybrid experience, allowing him to strengthen his IT knowledge while also supporting marketing initiatives and content creation.
The combination of assessment insights, coaching guidance, and hands-on experience helped Aeden better understand how his interests could work together in a future career.
A Clearer Vision for the Future
Today, Aeden is preparing to graduate from the Fifth-Year program and continue building his career journey.
This summer, he will work with his former school district in an IT support role while continuing to explore opportunities to develop his marketing experience.
Most importantly, he now feels confident about the path ahead.
“Future Plans and Junior Achievement kind of gave me a clear set path,” he said. “They helped me figure out what I want to do and what I need to do to achieve those goals.”
He believes that early career exploration has given him an advantage that many young adults are still searching for.
“Having that already figured out while some people are still trying to determine what they want to do has put me one step ahead,” he said.
Coaching That Creates Clarity
Aeden’s story demonstrates why coaching is a critical part of the Future Plans process. While assessments help students discover who they are, coaching helps them understand what to do next.
By combining personalized assessment results with one-on-one guidance, students can build actionable plans, identify opportunities, and gain the confidence needed to pursue their goals.
For Aeden, that support transformed uncertainty into a roadmap.
His advice to other students?
“Stay open-minded and take the opportunity. The more time you sit and wait, the more you’re missing out on finding out what you really want to do.”
Learn More About Future Plans Coaching
Career coaching is the second step in the Future Plans Five-Step Process, helping students translate assessment results into meaningful action plans and career exploration opportunities.
To learn more about how coaching helps students identify goals, build confidence, and create a path forward, visit our Future Plans Coaching Video Library:
