Centre County highlights CTE Month; area programs
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BELLEFONTE -- Throughout Centre County, February is used to showcase the incredible goings on in local schools’ career and technical education programs.
Representatives from State College Area High School, CPI and South Hills attended this week's Centre County Board of Commissioners meeting to discuss their respective schools.
The first individual to talk about the school they're representing was Ben Mordan with State College Area High School.
"Starting in kindergarten up through high school we have a STEM program, and we start to expose and motivate students to get involved and start thinking about their careers. At the high school, we have about 30 teachers who teach career and technical education, we're educating around 1,400 students out of a population of 2,500," said Mordan.
He highlighted that this style of education helps students develop life and networking skills.
Commissioner Steven Dershem encouraged Mordan to talk about what programs they're most proud of.
"It's really hard to mention them all. There's so much going on. I think the biggest thing is that it gives students a reason to come to school -- some students might not enjoy coming every day, (this) is the reason to get out of bed and not let the team down. It's really amazing to see how and where some of these students end up after graduation," said Mordan.
Mordan noted the strong health education programs, sports therapy programs, culinary arts, construction and auto-technology programs.
Commissioner Mark Higgins complimented the CTC Center at the school and noted that he has toured the facility.
Commissioner Amber Concepcion applauded State College High School for exposing students to new experiences before they move on to four-year degree programs.
"One of the great things about the way State College is conducting its career and technical education is encouraging all students to take elective courses from within the CTC courses. It really allows students to dabble in what kind of careers they might be interested in, and have experiences in certain career tracks before they're making decisions after high school," said Concepcion.
Jessica Martin, Vice-President of Secondary Education at the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology (CPI), described career and technical education as "the backbone of America."
"You can see that now with all of these 'wanted' signs that are surrounding our towns. It's our students that are going to fill those jobs. They're learning to not only become young adults but prosper and become citizens of tomorrow," said Martin.
CPI students Samantha Brown, Lucas Confer and Morgan Goodman attended the meeting and discussed their individual experiences at the school.
Brown, a senior in the early childhood education program and district winner of SkillsUSA, spoke first. She spoke about the big change between her home school of Penns Valley and CPI, noting that CPI instilled a sense of community.
"(It helped) develop my talking skills and learn how to interact with other people. Our program itself... had the opportunity our first year to go into their Head Start program and work with kids there. I had the opportunity my second year to go out on an internship with a teacher at Penns Valley which I spent most of the year on. It was awesome to be with the school that had raised me and see it from the teacher’s side," said Brown.
She has been working at a daycare in Millheim through CPI this year.
"(It's amazing) that CPI has set me up that I can be in a room with kids alone and teach them, and I am qualified to do that. Some of the other people who come into the daycare that are double my age don't have the ability to do that. It's awesome for me to see that and be a part of that," said Brown.
Confer, a student in the collision repair program, received 38 certifications within his field during his time in the program and explained to the commissioners how the school changed his outlook on education.
"CTE means a lot to me. There were very tough times throughout my high school career. There were (ups and downs) and overall it was not something I would say I enjoyed. As soon as I entered CPI I prospered much further in life. I can definitely say I have smiled a lot more," said Confer.
He spoke about his instructor who has taught him a lot, praised the facility and briefly spoke about how he has competed in State programs through SkillsUSA.
"I have a few jobs lined up after, which is another thing that CPI can help you do. (They) help you advance your career and get jobs outside of your secondary education. CPI has changed my life dramatically and for the better," said Confer.
The final student to speak was Goodman, a student who transferred to CPI from another college.
"Since going (to CPI) I have really succeeded. My professor has really pushed me to be the best I can be. At CPI I don't feel like I'm just a number to the faculty. Everyone is always very supportive of what you do. I feel like if I were to fall behind, or ever need help or assistance I can reach out to anyone at that school. That's something I never got to experience at other schools I've looked at. I really appreciate everything that they do, and what they have been doing to help prepare me for my future," said Goodman.
"It’s really great to hear from students who are having these great experiences, and those connections to the workplace are so important as you're seeing the purpose of how you're devoting your studies and why you're working on what you're working on," said Concepcion.
Commissioner Dershem has had a long affiliation with CPI, and praised the school for their working relationship with Centre County Government.
"You folks make a lot of good things happen for our community. We're very proud. Both before and after you graduate high school, there are lots of programs. Thank you for the collision repair programs, unfortunately, that’s one of the programs we need good people out there. That's one particular I've taken advantage of over the years," he joked.
Jeffry Stachowski, Director of Marketing and Community Outreach for South Hills, brought in representatives from the criminal justice program, department head Jennifer Stover and soon-to-be graduate Madi Mazza.
"I've been (at South Hills) going on 37 years now. I've spent a good deal of the lifespan of South Hills School in general as an employee and I've enjoyed every minute of it. Our motto is 'teaching people, changing lives' and I get an opportunity to watch that happen every year," said Stachowski.
Stachowski noted that they actively solicit input from employers to develop programs that are in need in the region.
Stover did a brief walkthrough of the criminal justice program, explaining it is a two-year associate degree program that trains students to become police officers, corrections officers, juvenile case workers, private security officers and other specialists in the field.
"We are a very hands-on program that focuses on the skills necessary to succeed upon entry into one of these positions. We teach them skills such as crime scene investigation techniques, emergency response procedures, handcuffing and pepper spray certifications (and more). To complete their education students then complete an internship in the field where they continue to get hands-on instruction and learn from the best in our field," said Stover.
There are a wide array of community agencies that graduates from the program serve in, including the Centre County Sheriff’s Office, the Public Defender's Office, the Centre County Correctional Facility and Central Counties Youth Center.
"I cannot begin to tell you how important it is to train and prepare individuals to serve in our communities, fight for justice and keep our community safe. What makes me proudest of the program are the students that have come through the program and are continuing the fight. They want to serve the community and serve our public," said Stover.
Mazza then told her story and experience as a second-year criminal justice student.
"Ever since I was young I knew I had a fascination with everything criminal justice. It wasn't until recently that I discovered my interest in the legal side of criminal justice. Coming out of high school I knew that I didn't want to go through four years of schooling to reach my goals. South Hills was perfect for me because in two years I could achieve an incredible education without having to spend time doing things I wasn't passionate about," said Mazza.
Mazza did internships with a district attorney in Lycoming County, and plans to attend Seaton Hill University to further her education and also intends to become a practicing lawyer.
"South Hills has given me a very solid base to confidently achieve any goal that I would dream of. The education that I have obtained from South Hills has led me on a path of success for any criminal justice career I could have chosen, and I believe that it has the ability to do that for any student that welcomes the challenge and desires to learn," said Mazza.
Concepcion complimented the concept of students getting in-depth training in different components of criminal justice before they even go into the field.
"It sounds like it really does open doors to further education in those areas if that's what you want to do. And now you have a better understanding of what you might be interested in studying in those areas and what you might want to specialize in. It's really inspiring to hear about the path that you're on," said Concepcion.
"We'd like to thank all three schools for coming here today and for talking about the critical importance of career and technical education. There are so many help wanted signs out there for people who have these certifications where you can start working immediately, the pay is good and there is a very good career track in the future in those fields," said Higgins.
Dershem emphasized the need for career and technical education, noting that as tradespeople and skilled laborers begin to leave the workforce it's essential to have quality replacements.
"Whether you're fixing cars, watching our children or keeping us safe… We need you. That's what this is all about. (The schools) providing resources for these young folks to be successful is amazing, and we're blessed to have you all," said Dershem.