WAPAKONETA — Wapakoneta High School seniors who accept job offers before graduation are celebrating their new jobs at ceremonial job signing days.

The events, organized by the high school’s internship program, showcase students who plan to enter the workforce immediately after high school by mimicking a popular tradition for college athletes.

Two of those students, seniors Kylie Mehaffey and Jacob Brinkman, joined their parents, siblings and future employers.

“I’m excited to keep going with this career choice,” said Mehaffey, who shadowed nurses as an intern in Lima Memorial Health System’s emergency department this year. Mehaffey will continue working in the hospital’s emergency department as a patient care technician while she studies nursing at Rhodes State College, she said.

Fellow senior Brinkman, who interned for construction firm H.A. Dorsten, signed to continue working for the firm when he graduates this month. Others have accepted job offers from employers like Mercy Health, Autobohn and Pratt.

The ceremonial signing days evidence the increasing popularity of the school district’s internship and networking program, known as WIN, which started with just nine students.

Now in its third year, the program enrolled an estimated 62 students this year while another 75 students applied to participate next school year, accoring to coordinator Laura Mears.

“All these seniors thought they had to go to college to get good jobs,” said Mears, who grew up in a family of tradesmen. “But it’s really OK to go out and start working right away in a career that you like.

“That’s why we developed the WIN program, so that they can see that there are jobs available to them.”