Lehigh Career & Technical Institute celebrates Senior Recognition Night

Lehigh Career & Technical Institute celebrated Senior Recognition Night on Thursday, May 26, 2016.

Lehigh Career & Technical Institute celebrated Senior Recognition Night on Thursday, May 26, 2016, at the Parkland High School Auditorium in South Whitehall Township.

S. WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. | Lehigh Career & Technical Institute on Thursday celebrated the accomplishments of the Class of 2016 with Senior Recognition Night.

Students’ family members and friends packed the Parkland High School Auditorium for the annual ceremony as LCTI seniors received certificates of participation or completion for their career and technical education programs, as well as awards for their outstanding achievements.

This year, LCTI’s seniors were highlighted throughout the event.

  • Web Design/Web Programming student Alexander Heffelfinger served as the master of ceremonies.
  • Culinary Arts student and National Technical Honor Society member Fantasia Rodriguez led the Pledge of Allegiance.
  • AllenCapella, a William Allen High School a cappella group featuring Painting & Decorating student Ishalys Garcia and Commercial Photography student Ashley Castillo, sang the “Star-Spangled Banner.”
  • Criminal Justice student Sunshine Polanco served as the evening’s featured speaker.
  • Advertising Design/Commercial Art student Keyana Castro designed the Senior Recognition Night program cover.

“When I think of what LCTI means to me, the word that comes to mind is ‘home,'” Polanco told the audience.

“A home is a place where you feel safe, where you have people helping you to reach your full potential. That is exactly what LCTI has helped me to do.”

Seniors in each of LCTI’s 40-plus career and technical education programs were eligible for awards in the following five categories.

  • Academic Excellence Award: Presented to seniors who maintained a grade-point average of 3.8 (93 percent) or higher for a minimum of three consecutive years in their CTE programs.
  • Technical Excellence Award: Presented to seniors who demonstrate the highest quality technical ability and meet or exceed industry standards in their CTE program lab or the workplace.
  • Outstanding Leadership Award: Presented to seniors who enhance learning both in the classroom and in their CTE program lab. Award winners demonstrate a commitment to the values of caring, critical and creative thinking, creating and building a community and mentoring fellow students.
  • Perfect Attendance Award: Presented to seniors who have been in attendance every school day of the year with no tardiness or early departures.
  • Outstanding Career & Technical Education Award: Presented to seniors who perform at the highest level both technically and academically while practicing leadership, collaboration and creativity to meet both technical and academic goals in their CTE programs.

For a complete list of the award recipients, view the Senior Recognition Night program.

Seniors were lauded for their performance on the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute exam. Roughly 90 percent of them scored proficient or advanced on the test, the latter of whom were presented with Pennsylvania Skills Certificates during Senior Recognition Night. For a complete list of certificate recipients, view the Senior Recognition Night program. The list begins on Page 28.

Students who won the Outstanding Career & Technical Education Senior Award for their program were automatically eligible for the Outstanding LCTI Career & Technical Education Senior Award, an extra special honor bestowed for the first time at this year’s ceremony.

The winners are:

  • Heffelfinger, a Southern Lehigh High School senior who plans to attend Lehigh Carbon Community College in the fall, eventually transfer to a four-year college to earn his bachelor’s degree and ultimately become a front-end website developer.
  • Douglas Pisarek, an East Penn School District resident in the Electromechanical/Mechatronics Technology program who has already earned an associate’s degree in Industrial Automation from LCCC and is exploring the possibility of taking additional courses at the school.

Also making its debut Thursday was the Career & Technical Student Organization Leadership Award, which is presented to a senior who demonstrates the ability to preside over and motivate others toward goals that connect education and careers, encourage high academic and career and technical education achievement and develop the employability skills of students. This winner is:

  • Ashley Feliciano, an Emmaus High School senior in the Marketing & Business Education program who plans to pursue a sports marketing degree at Kutztown University after graduation.

As in past years, LCTI selected two seniors to receive the Outstanding Academic Center Student Award. The winning seniors are full-day students who perform at a high academic level, demonstrate the ability to build positive relationships with students and staff, consistently show professionalism during classroom activities and exhibit leadership in and out of the classroom.

The winners are:

  • Omar Gonzalez, a William Allen High School senior in the Print Technology/Graphic Imaging program who plans to study at Lehigh Carbon Community College this fall and eventually transfer to Muhlenberg College where he’ll pursue a degree in physical therapy.
  • Polanco, a William Allen High School senior who plans to attend Borough of Manhattan Community College this fall, eventually transfer to John Jay College to earn her bachelor’s degree and ultimately work in a private security detail.

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