Congratulations, schoolwide award winner Carlee Bernd!

ALLENTOWN, Pa. | The Outstanding Career & Technical Education Senior Award is Lehigh Career & Technical Institute’s most prestigious accolade. Students selected to receive it are the best of the best at LCTI.

One of this year’s two Outstanding Career & Technical Education Senior Award winners is Carlee Bernd. Bernd is a Southern Lehigh High School student in LCTI’s Welding Technology program and Academic Center. Director of Career & Technical Education Darin Van Norman honored Carlee on Wednesday (May 29, 2024) at PPL Center during the school’s Class of 2024 Senior Recognition Night.

Carlee’s teacher, Brad Brandmeir, describes her as  a “motivated,” “dedicated” person who strives for excellence in everything she does. She’s a student he can always rely on to mentor others and complete tasks that keep classroom projects moving forward.

Carlee is the Academic Center senior class president and a dual-enrollment student with more than a dozen college credits under her belt. She participated in LCTI’s cooperative education program, going to work for CWI Inc., a company that modifies train cars.

The 18-year-old Coopersburg resident is a SkillsUSA competitor whose welding fabrication teams scored Top 3 finishes for two years running at districts. She is also a two-time Project MFG welding competition participant.

Carlee served as president of LCTI’s American Welding Society student chapter. She’s also a National Technical Honor Society member, a SkillsUSA Council Elmer Gates Enterprise Award winner and a volunteer who donates her time and welding skills to support local nonprofit organizations.

Carlee is continuing her education at Lehigh Carbon Community College, where she intends to pursue an applied technical studies degree.