PHS-CTC celebrates the 2022 Career and Technical Education Awards
PORTSMOUTH — On Thursday, May 19, nearly 350 career and technical education students, their teachers, parents and guardians, and special guests gathered in the PHS gymnasium to celebrate student successes throughout the school year. Among the many awards and achievements celebrated were the Director’s Award, Teacher Awards, recognition of student completers of two-year CTE programs, as well as induction of the 2022 National Technical Honor Society members.
The Director’s Award was presented to none other than our Chamber Collaborative President Ben VanCamp. Director of CTE, Courtney Ritchings, had this to say about Ben, “In my three years here at PHS, through the trials of a pandemic, this individual has been a consistent partner connecting PHS-CTE with industry connections that are critical to creating and implementing all of the real world, hands-on learning opportunities that make CTE such an amazing opportunity for students. They have readily jumped in to grant projects, facilitating industry tours and videos for the culinary arts program, recruited mentors for business, joined the Business Education Collaborative (a group that advises the center and supports us in setting our course for continual support of our programs), organized vodcasts and photographers in order to assist us in capturing the magic of CTE and sharing it with the community. Wait…there is more... this individual has helped us pull together many Zoom and in-person speaker panels full of industry mentors across many career pathways. He has coordinated lunch and learn activities where students learn directly from industry professionals, share their work from their CTE programs and then talk about potential career projections or collaborate on projects together.
This individual has hidden talents and has even recruited themselves as a Zoom speaker on our health science panels to inspire the next generation of health care professionals, like Clark Kent when not at The Daily Planet generating stories he’s Superman out saving the day, when he’s not at the Chamber Collaborative as President, this award recipient is out in the community as an EMT. During the past year he has risen from the position of Director of What’s Happening Next to President. With that, let’s start the evening off with the presentation of the Director’s Award which goes to Ben VanCamp this year in thanks for his endless support, community connections and sources of inspiration for our students.”
Each year, in our CTE programs, we have students that excel beyond our expectations or show strengths in areas of their chosen career pathways. The CTE Excellence Awards are teachers' opportunity to recognize outstanding students within their career and technical programs. Special teacher awards were presented by all program pathways as follows:
Architecture Design-Build
Community Woodworking Project-Senior Center Raised Garden Planters: Chris Burovac, Josh Ciotti, Ryan Clark, John Flynn, Kai Peterson, Max Shorter.
Outstanding Achievement in Architecture 101: Sydney Conner
Outstanding Achievement in Interior Design: Shea Harrison
Outstanding Achievement in Design-Build: Myles Leatherman
Outsanding Achievement in Design Studio: Travis Perkins
Automotive Technology
SkillsUSA NH Gold Medalist in Automotive Service Technology: Adam Croteau
SkillsUSA NH Gold Medalist in Power Equipment Technology: Nick Kyrousis
SkillsUSA NH Bronze Medalist in Diesel Equipment Technology: Ethan Lantz
SkillsUSA NH Bronze Medalist in Power Equipment Technology: Calvin Puglisi
Outstanding Achievement in the Automotive Technology Program: Joseph Hagan, Sam Philbrick, Spencer Whitten
Most Improved Student in Automotive Technology: Connor Tizzrd
Business Pathways
Business Student of the Year: Tyler Paradis
Leadership and Innovation Award: Calli Wright
Careers in Education: Commitment to the role of Educators Rising State Officer: Kailyn Richards
Completing third year of Career in Education Program: Riley Diemer
Most Creative in Careers in Education I: Alicia Matthes
Successful completion of Careers in Education I: Alex Boone, Madison Ottanio, Mia Smith, Eva Vardell
Computer Science
Outstanding Achievement with 4.0 in Computer Science Programming: Nathan Amend, Samuel Borne, Carter Schmitt, Patrick Shore
Culinary Arts
SkillsUSA NH Gold Medalist in Culinary Arts: Elisabeth Townsend
Outstanding Achievement in Culinary Arts: Athena Ellison, Nathan Fletcher, Hauken Gala, Kaden Goyette, Alex Hassoun Peshkov, Alexander Mavrikis, Elisabeth Townsend
Outstanding Participation and Achievement Award: Ryan Gray
Health Science
Outstanding Achievement in the Health Science Technology Program: Ava Caldwell, Karina Havelshko, Jillian Richmond, Reese Williams, Cameron Zadravec
Exceptional Performance and Commitment in the Health Science Technology Program: Gregory Riddle
Welding Technology
Outstanding production in Introduction to Welding: Aayan Bliss
Outstanding abilities in Welding Technology-Independent Study: Morgan Cole
The PHS-CTE team, teachers and students alike, have come together to produce some amazing results in 2022. Our students achievements include: the completion of hundreds of dual enrollment college courses embedded within their CTE programs. Through Running Start and SNHU in the Schools, students earned roughly 1000 college credits while completing their high school course work that is closely aligned with the Community College System of NH and Southern New Hampshire University content. These transferable credit opportunities save families in the greater Portsmouth community a great deal of tuition dollars.
The Wire Clippers Robotics team was back at it this year, as were our Career and Technical Student Organizations SkillsUSA and Educators Rising. We had state medalists in culinary and automotive competitions and these students will be going on to national competitions in June. We also added FBLA and HOSA as student organizations for our Business Pathways program and the new Health Science Technology program.
In addition to earning college credit and having great success in their skills competitions students worked diligently to earn industry recognized credentials that cultivated college and career readiness and increased their marketability to colleges, employers and on scholarship applications. Altogether, when we add the ServSafe, CareerSafe, CAST Universal Design for Learning, CPR/First Aid, Stop the Bleed, Automotive Service Excellence, SP2 and American Welding Society certifications together the students earned more than 556 industry recognized credentials.
Mr. Steve Jones Architecture Design-Build Program Completers include: Valery Aldebot, Kendall Callahan, Julia Eiffe, Grace Maguire, Grace Mower, Michael O’Neil, Ryan Patten, Travis Perkins, Zoe Tsetsilas.
Mr. David Lilly’s Automotive Technology Program Completers include: Joshua Beck, Holden Burke, Colby Friesel, Austin Godin, Joseph Hagen, Giorgio Juve, Keiquan Luc, Matthew Mower, Calvin Puglisi, Leo Shortill, Connor Tizzard.
Ms. Bellabona and Ms. Haus’ Business Program Completers in the Accounting and Entrepreneurship Pathways include:
Vera: Jack Conner, Adrian J. Degnan, Connor S. Hepponstall, Grace J. Jenkins, Hannah M. McCue, Tyler J. Paradis, Sydney H. Szmyt.
Nicole: Kyra Brummage, Matthew Creighton, Lilly Oliver, Calli Wright.
Ms. Carla Frank and Ms. Chelsea Serrano’s Careers in Education Program Completers include: Josette Almeida, Chase Bishop, Tess Brams, Charly Grimes, Kaitlyn Law, Mackenzie Leonard, Zoe Morin, Mareesha Patel, Jadean Remick, Kailyn Richards, Ryan Scarlotto, Caroline Weeks.
Mr. Gordon Reynolds Computer Science Technology Program Completers include: Nathan Amend, Smauel Borne, Damon Chase, Chester Deorocki, Elias Ford, Jack Gillis, Jaden Moore, Jake Pappas, Carter Schmitt, Patrick Shore, Josh Simon, Noah Viens.
Chef Beth Brown’s Culinary Arts Program Completers include: Athena Ellison, Nathan Fletcher, Hauken Gala, Kaden Goyette, Alex Haussoun Peshkov, Alexander Mavrikis, Elizabeth Townsend.
Mr. Bill Schefer’s Welding Program Completers include: William Boone, Caleb Comstock, Noah Donovan, Connor Jacobsen, Maximilian Machado, Anthony Nalen, Ian Ripperger, Peter Wool.
The final portion of the ceremony included the PHS-CTC’s National Technical Honor Society’s Induction Ceremony. This ceremony recognizes the accomplishments of a group of outstanding CTE students who have put forth tremendous effort and shown great aptitude in their chosen trade area. Induction into the National Technical Honor Society is one the highest accomplishments that can be bestowed upon a Career and Technical Education student.
2022 NTHS inductees
The following students embody the attributes of our organization and represent excellence in Career and Technical Education:
Sadie Alati, Josette, Almeida, Nathan Amend, Tristian Arp, Ethan Ayotte, Jackson Barnes, William Bennett, Paige Betournay, Emma Biddle, Chase Bishop, Samuel Borne, Tess Brams, Finn Bussiere, Ava Caldwell, Annelise Campbell, Aizha Castellano, Damon Chase, Srikar Varma Chintalapati, Alisha Cloutier, Sally Collins, Caleb Comstock, Reegan Conlin, Jack Conner, Zachary Cross, Duncan Cullinane, Adrian Degnan, Chester Deorocki, Sinead Dolan, Luiza Dos Reis, Benjamin Doyle, Elisabeth Drakatos, Boden Driscoll, Carter Duddy, Julia Eiffe, Zahra Evanto, Nathan Fletcher, Christopher Flint, Colby Friesel, Cal Gotlieb, Charly Grimes, William Gum III, Joseph Hagan, Alex Hassoun Peshkov, Lillian Hirsch, Aidan Holt, Gunner Jackson, Kendall Jaggars, Giorgio Juve, Mallory Kiedaisch, Ethan Lantz, Kaitlyn Law, Katherine Lazenby, Myles Leatherman, Jake Leddy, Mackenzie Leonard, Brooke Linchey, Charlize Lingamfelter, Allison Maciejewski, Alicia Matthes, Hannah McCue, Benjamin McFarland, Angelina Meyer, Jaden Moore, Ryan Nash Pannella, August Neuffer, Michael O’Neil, Frank O’Neill, Diego Ortiz, Jordan Ovadek, John Pappas, Broderick Parrott, Mareesha Patel, Baden Paterson, Adam Perkins, Travis Perkins, Samuel Philbrick, Calvin Puglisi, Kailyn Richards, Gregory Riddle, Ian Ripperger, Anton Ryan, Ryan Scarlotto, Carter Schmitt, Logan Scully, Elizabeth Seefried, Utkarsh Sharma, Marina Shone, Patrick Shore, Joshua Simon, Mia Smith, Sydney Szmyt, Jacob Telford, Connor Tizzard, Carley Trudel, Brianna Turban, Evan Venn, Samantha Venuto, Noah Viens, Samanta Walker, Maxwell Ward, Dylan Webb, Caroline Weeks, Like Whisler, Reese Williams, Peter Wool, Callie Wright, Jason Yeaton, Cameron Zadravec, Carmine Zingariello, Sofia Zingariello.
It was an amazing night of celebration recognizing student’s hard work, perseverance, and skills development in career and technical education. Congratulations to all of the 2022 PHS-CTE students and many thanks to the teachers that championed the students' success.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: PHS-CTC celebrates the 2022 Career and Technical Education Awards
