Outstanding CTE students earn Rotary honors
BLACKSBURG – Four outstanding students in Montgomery County Public Schools’ Career and Technical Education programs were recognized Thursday at the Rotary Club of Blacksburg’s Outstanding CTE Student Awards ceremony.
One winner was selected from each of the County’s four high schools based on their excellence in CTE studies and their exemplification of the Rotary’s motto of Service Above Self. In addition to a certificate of recognition, a book has been placed in Montgomery-Floyd Regional Libraries in their honor, and each recipient received $750 to fund further study for their future careers. The winners for 2010 are: Joshua Toney of Auburn High School, Zack Price of Blacksburg High School, Brooke Musselman of Christiansburg High School, and Heather Phoenix of Eastern Montgomery High School.
This year marked a record number of entries for the awards, said Tommy Loflin of the Rotary’s Vocational Service Committee.
“We had a really, really strong nomination process this year,” Loflin said.
The winners were chosen from a pool of 18 applicants this year, Loflin said.
Joshua was nominated by AHS Business and Information Technology teacher Margie Gilmer. As a student in Gilmer’s first game design class, Josh has stood out and excelled, she said.
“Josh has been one of my greatest students,” Gilmer said. “He’s very focused and he has been wonderful to help other students that are having issues with it. It can be a difficult class at times.”
In addition to school, Josh works outside of school at Bull & Bones restaurant in Blacksburg. He plans to attend Wytheville and New River Community College and pursue a career in radiology.
Zack was nominated by BHS Agriculture teacher Wesley Gwaltney.
“I know Zack’s a hardworking student,” said Gwaltney who has taught Zack for two years in subjects such as natural resources and small engine repair.
In addition to his studies, Zack if heavily involved with the Future Farmers of America, Gwaltney said. Zack plans to attend NRCC for general studies and then transfer to Virginia Tech to study wood products engineering or forestry. He plans to pursue a career as a master carpenter.
Brooke was nominated by CHS Health and Medical Sciences teacher Diane Lacy. Brook is following in her parent’s footsteps as a volunteer with local rescue organizations, Lacy said. In addition to her studies, which include dual enrollment courses with NRCC, Brooke holds a part-time job and volunteers with the Radford Free Clinic, Lacy said.
“She jumps in feet first into all sorts of different activities and just has a real love of learning,” Lacy said.
Brooke plans to attend NRCC and pursue a career in nursing.
Heather was nominated by EMHS Business teacher Karen Carrier. In addition to maintaining a 4.25 grade point average in her four CTE classes, Heather is active in the Future Business Leaders of America. She took home a first place trophy in the FBLA regional competition and placed fourth in the state competition, Carrier said.
“She is a pleasure to be around,” Carrier said. “She is a leader among all her peers, and she really does stand out among all the students at Eastmont and we are truly going to miss her this year as she graduates.”
Heather plans to pursue a career in nursing after graduation.
Despite the financial strains the national recession has placed on the CTE program in Montgomery County, the program continues to thrive and grow, said MCPS CTE Supervisor Rick Weaver.
“Neither recession nor expanding global competition changes our core mission,” Weaver said. “It simply focuses us to make do with less and to rethink how we can accomplish the work that has to be done, and even to redefine that work.”
CTE program teachers and administrators continue to be successful in providing students with the skills to succeed in the 21st Century, while providing career guidance and exploration opportunities, Weaver said.
The job market for technical careers has not suffered in the recession either, Weaver said. Many of the jobs in these fields remain unfilled, he said. While many students who attend four-year universities could have difficulty finding a job or identifying a career goal, many CTE students are following a clear path, Weaver said.
“As a nation, we have, and are probably still sending too many students to four-year universities where they are not all being successful, where they don’t have clear goals, and too many of them are not graduating or being employed in their choice of field,” Weaver said. “CTE can help with this problem by helping to expose students to a broad spectrum of careers and by providing career exploration opportunities for them, and to help fill the technical and trade jobs that are going unfilled in this nation.”
