The
LaPorte County Career and Technical Education program at the A. K. Smith Career
Center in Michigan City held its 2024 Awards Program on Thursday, May 2, at the
Holdcraft Performing Arts Center. During the program, seniors of the Technical
Honor Society received a tassel to be worn at their high school graduations,
and new students were inducted. Several students were also honored with
scholarships and awards.
The
purpose of the Technical Honor Society is to honor students who have shown
dedication, professionalism, and the skills necessary to be selected as the
best of the best in their chosen Career and Technical field. These students
demonstrate that technical education is a viable, practical, and challenging
educational path.
The ceremony was led by LaPorte County CTE Director David
Notary and Assistant CTE Director Katherine Broadnax. Davida Barney, Keona
Briggs, Brandon Bubalo, Sarah Emery, Connor June, Dion Smith, Savannah
Deniston, and Sofia Garcia held technical honors from their junior to senior
year. Twenty-two students were inducted into the Society, representing six area
high schools. They include Guadalupe Abundis-Vargas, Esther Barnes, Luke Baske,
Nathaniel Bosse, Ryan Burian, Samantha Deckard, Alayla Dunning, Brianna Harvey,
Gabriel Heichel, Emily Hunt, William Larrew, Donovan Malstaff, Isabella
Masterson, Jose Martinez, Jayden Montenegro, Tanner Mosley, Xzae’Vaire Meadows,
Makayla Page, Khushi Patel, Mackenzie Ponder, Violet Tanber, and Leslie
Villabos.
Fifty-six students received Dual Credits from Ivy Tech, and
28 students were awarded Work Ethic Certificates.
Each
CTE program at A. K. Smith also recognized an Outstanding Student of the
Programs. They included:
Automotive: Christopher Lichkay
Career Skills: Adelia Rightsell
Construction: Dion Smith
Cosmetology: Violet Tanber
Criminal Justice: Guadalupe Abundis-Vargas
Culinary: Davida Barney
Education Professions: Rebecca Waldron
EMT: Gavin Sigle
Energy Academy: Jai Tucker
Fire Science & Rescue: Kaiden Porch
Health Careers 1: Madison Tilden
Health Careers 2: Sofia Garcia
Modern Machine
Technology: Donavan
Malstaff
Visual & Digital
Communications: Chase
Moore
Welding Technology: Ahi-Jah Whiting
Each
year, a student representative from each high school served by the LaPorte
County Career and Technical Education program is selected as the Outstanding
Student of the Schools. This year’s recipients were:
La
Porte High School: Jazmine Carillo (Culinary)
Michigan
City High School: Ahi-Jah Whiting (Welding)
New
Buffalo High School: Lily Wulff (Culinary)
New
Prairie High School: Brille Gaddis (Health 1)
South
Central High School: Elizabeth Tate (Health 2)
Tri-Township
High School: Kenny Vernich (Machining)
Westville
High School: Halley Wood (Health 1)
The
LaPorte County CTE’s top honor, the “Director’s Award” (Outstanding Student for
LCCTE), was awarded to Madison Tilden, who is a Health Careers 1 student from
Michigan City High School.
Other students who received special recognition included:
American Red Cross Scholarship –
Madison Tilden
American Red Cross Blood Drive
Donation Cords - Guadalupe Abundis-Vargas, Esther Barnes, Cerenti Branch,
Keonna Briggs, Krystal Cathey, Thomas Ferrell, Sofia Garcia, Arianna Gilroy,
Natalie Herbert, To’Ney Jones, Donavan Malstaff, Tessa Monger, Georgia Pumroy,
Jai Tucker, Adorriana Whitlow
State Skills USA Machining
Competition - Connor June (3rd place at regionals, 8th place at state), Donavan
Malstaff (5th place at regionals, 15th place at state)
Health Occupations Student of
America HOSA top winners - Nitaljia Mendoza (1st place - Life Support Skills),
Emily Burskirk (5th Place - Nutrition), Brilie Gaddis and Nevaeh Trobaugh (6th
place - Forensic Science), Navaeh Trobaugh (7th place - Behavioral Health), and
Katelynn Powalski (8th place - Physical Therapy)
Center for Creative Solutions
Innovation Awards - Jeremiah Allen (Construction), Alayla Dunning (Culinary)
Brad Cohen Award – Nitaljia Mendoza
(South Central High School)
Tej Ram Gupta Scholarship – Connor
June (Westville High School)
Mentor of the Year - Dae’Shawn Lewis
