CTE Students at Thompson Road Campus honored with "Tools for Success" awards
May 31, 2023Students who excel in several Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs at the OCM BOCES Thompson Road Campus were honored on Wednesday in the annual "Tools for Success" awards ceremony. To qualify for a "Tools for Success" award, students must demonstrate proficient skills within their program, have good classroom attendance and participation, and show a consistently positive attitude in class. As each instructor introduced this year's honorees, common themes stood out. All of the award-winners were described as passionate, reliable, hardworking, task-oriented, academically successful, determined to do high-quality work, willing to help others in the classroom, and exemplary as both leaders and role models in their CTE programs. The awards ceremony is unique because each student receives an actual "tool" for their success, including a Snap-On screwdriver for the automotive students, a helmet or shield for the welding students, and an Estwing framing hammer and tool belt for the construction students. Culinary students receive a $1,000 college scholarship from "Two Chefs from Above," a non-profit organization that created the scholarships as a memorial for two young men killed in a Syracuse-area restaurant shooting in 2018. OCM BOCES Adult Education Instructor Nancy Chappell started the organization because one of the victims was her son. Partnering businesses this year for the prizes included Driver's Village, Home Builders and Remodelers of Central New York, Lincoln Electric, Tracey Road Equipment, and Two Chefs from Above, LLC. At Wednesday's ceremonies, CTE Principal Carrie Heffron and Assistant Principal Jared Ciereck emceed the event. Students were selected by their teachers in these CTE programs:
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