Austin Harvey
Occupational Goal: Business Owner

“The Entrepreneurship class I took at my high school has given me a burning desire to go out and start my own business. The CTE classes I have taken during my high school career have helped me decide what I want to do for a career. Ever since I took an Entrepreneurship class I have fallen in love with business.

“CTE courses have helped me tremendously to prepare for life after high school, college, and a career. The business classes really helped me see what it is like working in the real world and what it takes to be successful. The Business Leadership class has helped me so much. It has taught me valuable communication, problem-solving, time management, information management, and managerial skills. This class has shown me how to be a professional employee in a company. Since I have started this class, my grades have gone up in all of my other classes because it has taught me crucial study skills that are needed in college. The CTE classes I have taken in high school have truly helped me more than I ever could have imagined.”

—Austin Harvey, Alta High School

UtahCTE.org congratulates Austin on the CTE Scholarship and Tuition Award he received to Utah Valley University. Austin was one of 102 students honored at the CTE Scholarships and Tuition Awards banquet on Wednesday, May 1, 2013.

Gaige Trevethick
Occupational Goal: Veterinarian Technician

“It has always been my aspiration to be a veterinarian. Once I discovered there was a veterinary class I could take through Jordan Applied Technology Center (JATC), I was excited and motivated to get there. I studied and made sure to get plenty of rest so that I could pass the acceptance test. The day I received the acceptance letter to JATC for the veterinarian assisting program was, to date, the best day of my life.

“Veterinary Assisting at JATC has prepared me with knowledge of how to ask questions, view the whole picture, work with people, deal with stressful situations in a timely fashion, use outside resources to find the answers I need, be organized, and so much more. This class has taught me how to be responsible for my time, be respectful of other people’s time, and give prompt responses. It also taught me how to lead a team and coordinate schedules. Veterinary Assisting is the first step to my career, my future, my life.”

 —Gaige Trevethick, Jordan High School

UtahCTE.org congratulates Gaige on the CTE Scholarship and Tuition Award she received to Southern Utah University. Gaige was one of 102 students honored at the CTE Scholarships and Tuition Awards banquet on Wednesday, May 1, 2013.

Left: Blair Carruth, Assistant Commissioner, Utah System of Higher Education
Middle: Gaige Trevethick
Right: Jared Haines, Vice President, Utah College of Applied Technology 

Marissa Muhlestein
Occupational Goal: Pastry Chef

“Being involved in Family and Consumer Sciences will enrich my life, because not only am I preparing for a career, I am preparing for my future family. I am going to further my education after high school and study how to become a pastry chef. One day I plan to open my own bakery. By taking culinary classes now, I will take the skills and knowledge of food that I have learned to the next level and become the best pastry chef I can be.

“During my sophomore year in high school I learned about the Family and Consumer Sciences Pathway. I became very interested in the classes and options that were offered and decided that I wanted to study this area in college. In high school I started taking a variety of CTE courses. Each one of these courses has taught me so much and has prepared me for the courses I will be taking in college.”

 —Marissa Muhlestein, Granger High School

UtahCTE.org congratulates Marissa on the CTE Scholarship and Tuition Award she received to Salt Lake Community College. Marissa was one of 102 students honored at the CTE Scholarships and Tuition Awards banquet on Wednesday, May 1, 2013.

Left: Blair Carruth, Assistant Commissioner, Utah System of Higher Education
Middle: Marissa Muhlestein
Right: Jared Haines, Vice President, Utah College of Applied Technology 

Emelyn Nye
Occupational Goal: Registered Nurse (RN)

“As a junior I could apply for one of the Career and Technical Education programs offered off campus. My hope was that I would be accepted into the nurse assistant program my first semester. I wanted to know as soon as possible if I would enjoy the field of nursing as an occupation. I was excited when my class schedule was finalized and I learned I would be in the afternoon class.

“I love my nursing class! Leaving Alta after two periods each day and getting to do hands-on learning at the Canyons Technical Education Center (CTEC) was great. My teacher was so upbeat and positive about the profession. We covered a lot of material in one semester, learned many skills, practiced on each other, and went out to care centers and hospitals, where we assisted nurses on their shifts and helped patients like we were CNAs.

“Due to the CTEC nurse assistant program, I found myself extremely motivated to become a registered nurse. There are so many paths I could take after earning my RN license, and I’m excited to have found my career this early in life. I am so glad I was able to take different CTE courses until I found the one that was right for me.”

 —Emelyn Nye, Alta High School

UtahCTE.org congratulates Emelyn on the CTE Scholarship and Tuition Award she received to Dixie State University. Emelyn was one of 102 students honored at the CTE Scholarships and Tuition Awards banquet on Wednesday, May 1, 2013.

Left: Blair Carruth, Assistant Commissioner, Utah System of Higher Education
Middle: Emelyn Nye
Right: Jared Haines, Vice President, Utah College of Applied Technology 

Austin Smith
Occupational Goal: Future Marketing Director

“I have always been interested in business and marketing. I have learned much from my CTE business classes. The CTE Marketing Pathway gave me the opportunity to learn about a field that I was unfamiliar with. This field intrigued me in many different ways and opened new doors for my educational goals. Marketing taught me the basics in areas such as promotion, marketing, retail, and business ethics. The marketing program was one of the most influential experiences of my high school career.

“My occupational goal is to work up from an intern to an entry-level marketing position, and ultimately be the marketing director for a corporation and lead the marketing department.”

—Austin Smith, Mountain High School

UtahCTE.org congratulates Austin on the CTE Scholarship and Tuition Award he received to Weber State University. Austin was one of 102 students honored at the CTE Scholarships and Tuition Awards banquet on Wednesday, May 1, 2013.

 Left: Blair Carruth, Assistant Commissioner, Utah System of Higher Education
Middle: Austin Smith
Right: Jared Haines, Vice President, Utah College of Applied Technology 

Abigayle Schofield
Occupational Goal: Graphic Designer

“The career and technical field I have chosen to study is graphic design. I have chosen this career because in it I am able to do things that I love. I love to design, work with people, and also manage things around me. I hope with this degree I will be an asset to a company in helping them advertise their products more efficiently.

“I have taken several design classes at my high school and have learned so much. All of the CTE classes I have taken have benefited me. By the time I graduate from high school this summer I will have 37 college credits completed. This fall I plan on attending UVU to finish my associate degree. After graduation from UVU, I plan on starting a job that I feel with help me achieve my goal of being on the advertising team of a company. I plan on doing what I love in the workforce.”

—Abigayle Schofield, Wasatch High School

UtahCTE.org congratulates Abigayle on the CTE Scholarship and Tuition Award she received to Utah Valley University. Abigayle was one of 102 students honored at the CTE Scholarships and Tuition Awards banquet on Wednesday, May 1, 2013.

Left: Blair Carruth, Assistant Commissioner, Utah System of Higher Education
Middle: Abigayle Schofield
Right: Jared Haines, Vice President, Utah College of Applied Technology 

Hunter Okerlund
Occupational Goal: Mechanical Engineering Technician

“I am very interested in the field of engineering because technology changes all the time. There will always be problems to solve and processes to improve.

“I have always liked doing hands-on projects and thinking of different ways to make something better. With my CTE classes in Project Lead the Way, I was able to see whole processes, from the design stage on paper to transferring that design and idea into a computer application, then all the way to building a prototype. I hope to use these classes and experiences in a future college class to further my education, and in a career to improve systems in business and communities.”

 —Hunter Okerlund, Fremont High School

UtahCTE.org congratulates Hunter on the CTE Scholarship and Tuition Award he received to Weber State University. Hunter was one of 102 students honored at the CTE Scholarships and Tuition Awards banquet on Wednesday, May 1, 2013.

Parker Kingsford
Occupational Goal: Computer Engineer

“I have felt great interest in becoming a computer engineer since I started working with computers at the age of 10. I love technology and engineering, to solve and fix problems. I like to design new computer systems that can be more effective in day-to-day life. Becoming a computer engineer would incorporate some of my greatest passions and joys in life.

“I am currently attending Canyons Technical Education Center (CTEC) in Sandy, Utah. I am enrolled in the Computer Repair and Network System course. This program has helped me earn many industry-level certifications including: CompTIA, IT Strata Fundamentals, IC3, Microsoft Technical Associate (MTA), OS Fundamentals, and Security and Academy of Information Technology certifications. At CTEC, I was recently recognized as the most outstanding PC repairman for the first semester.”

—Parker Kingsford, West Jordan High School

UtahCTE.org congratulates Parker on the CTE Scholarship and Tuition Award he received to Salt Lake Community College. Parker was one of 102 students honored at the CTE Scholarships and Tuition Awards banquet on Wednesday, May 1, 2013.

Left: Blair Carruth, Assistant Commissioner, Utah System of Higher Education
Middle: Parker Kingsford
Right: Jared Haines, Vice President, Utah College of Applied Technology 

Throughout April students across the state of Utah competed in the annual Utah IT Challenge. This event was held in conjunction with the Microsoft IT Academy, a national program that provides industry-leading technology skills. Utah’s IT Challenge included Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) certifications. This year Utah’s IT Challenge was held in three regions—Salt Lake Region, Northern Region, and Central Region. From Photoshop to CIW Site Design to Oracle Java, over 60 students—grades 9-12—took the challenge to compete among their peers. Over 100 tests were taken with 16 MTA certifications awarded.

 Students who achieved the highest score in each IT Challenge area:

Each Adobe first place winner was awarded Adobe Suite software, generously donated by Adobe. Other first place winners were awarded Windows 8 operating system, generously donated by Microsoft. Novell donated a nice laptop bag for the top Linux winner.

Adobe Photoshop winners
Left to right: Sienna Pickard, Sarah Cotner, Ty Bayn,
with Francie Stewart, Certiport representative

Students who participated in the Utah IT Challenge further developed his/her skills in industry-leading technology that will jump-start his/her future career in the IT industry. In Utah, tech companies employ about 140,000 people, paying approximately 57 percent higher salaries than the statewide average.¹

If you’re interested in competing in the Utah IT Challenge next year contact your Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher to learn how to prepare and register. Learn about the CTE Information Technology Pathways HERE.

 ¹ Utah Technology Council

Congratulations to Provo High School students Parker Thomas and Jimmy Hicken who took first place at the state Ford/AAA Auto Skills competition on Thursday, May 2, 2013. The competition was held at Salt Lake Community College’s Miller Campus where 10 teams tested their knowledge and skill at diagnosing a purposely bugged vehicle.

Dave Milliken, Skilled and Technical Science Sciences state specialist, was on the planning committee and attended the event. He describes the contest and the close finish. “This year’s contest was a bit more challenging due to the fact that there was a double bug. This means that there were two bugs dealing with the same problem, so when a team found one bugged part there was another one causing a similar problem to the car. The bugs could range from light bulbs for turn signals to sensors affecting the transmission.

“After 75 minutes of working on the cars, and 15 minutes left of the competition, all 10 cars were still being worked on. The bugs were tough and challenged the student’s abilities and knowledge of the vehicles. Only four vehicles were driven into final judging, the others were still on the field of competition when the contest came to an end.”

Below are the results of the competition:
1st Place – Provo High School
2nd Place – Riverton High School
3rd Place – Woods Cross High School
4th Place – Northridge High School
5th Place – Timpview High School
6th Place – Clearfield High School
7th Place – Hillcrest High School
8th Place – Davis High School
9th Place – USU Eastern High School Program
10th Place – Fremont High School

Parker and Jimmy now advance to the national finals at the Ford Motor Company Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan on June 9-12, 2013. They will compete against students from 49 other states to debug a 2013 Ford Focus SE. The team with the fewest quality-of-workmanship demerits and the best combined total score—repair time and written exam—will be the winner.

Left to right: Chris Hohnbaum, Rick Bouillon, Jimmy Hicken, Seth McVea,
Parker Thomas, Brett Baird, Jeff Broadhead, Dave Milliken

At the national competition participating students will be awarded scholarships, trophies, apparel, certificates, shop manuals, and automotive equipment. Contestants will also have the opportunity to be considered for automotive technician and other service specialist positions with Ford Motor Company dealers, AAA affiliated service facilities, and other sponsoring organizations.

UtahCTE wishes Parker and Jimmy the best as they compete for the national Ford/AAA Auto Skills title.

Related articles:
Provo High team wins Ford/AAA vehicle repair competition,
The Salt Lake Tribune, May 2, 2013
Provo High students named state’s best auto techs,
Fox13now.com, May 2, 2013
Utah’s top high school mechanics gather for automotive competition,
Deseret News, May 3, 2013
Utah’s tip high propagandize mechanics accumulate for automotive competition,
Utah News, May 3, 2013