HCTC Awards Night and Awarding of Scholarships – May 27th

On Wednesday night, May 27th Hancock County Technical Center inducted individuals into the National Technical Honor Society as well as presenting their awards, and awarded scholarships in a virtual meeting. Normally the campus is packed for the dinner and awards ceremony.

Because it is such an important occasion, I am sharing Director Amy Boles speech recognizing the award winners and the presentation of scholarships. Congratulations to all.

PERFECT ATTENDANCE:  Prior to school closure, these students were not tardy and did not miss HCTC unless their sending high school required them to. 

• Biomedical Sciences, Ellsworth HS, Kerrigan Andrews
• Early Childhood, Sumner Memorial High School,  Laura Atwater

THIRD YEAR STUDENTS:  Every so often, we have students attend HCTC for three years.  This year we had two students who attended  HCTC for three years both spending this year in our Culinary Arts program.  This takes great commitment to both our school as well as to their academics to ensure that students have all the academic credits they need to attend.  Please help me congratulate:  from Connections Academy Three years in Culinary Arts Raiya Vikberg and from Deer Isle Stonington HS, two years in Early Childhood Education and one year in Culinary Arts, Rachel Shepard.

We are very fortunate at HCTC to have a very active Ellsworth Rotary Club who annually makes a great commitment to our school.  Their Student of the Month program is a time honored tradition recognizing a student and their family at their meetings for their exceptional work in their individual program.  One student from each program is selected each year.

Student of the Month:

• September:  Law Enforcement Ellsworth HS Samantha Simmons
• October:  Automotive Technology, Home school student Samantha Moore
• November:  Biomedical Sciences Ellsworth HS Taylor Richardson
• December:  Health Occupations from Ellsworth HS, Makayla Fishburn
• January: Multimedia Design from Ellsworth HS, Benjamin Snow
• February:  Welding Technology from MDI HS Jesse Felix
• March: Early Childhood Narraguagus Michael Haire
• April:  Diesel Technology, Bucksport HS Samuel Holyoke and Culinary Arts Ellsworth HS Emily Brown

SKILLSUSA PARTICIPANTS:  Each year, we honor those students that commit themselves to preparing for the SkillsUSA competition.  This year of course our students were not able to compete as the State of  Maine SkillsUSA competition was cancelled like so many other spring activities.  However, students spent months preparing and tonight we honor that work.  Students will be listed by competition.

SkillsUSA Advisors:  Andrew Trowbridge, Scott Baillargeon and Meghan Stubbs.

• Action Skills-Ellsworth HS-Noah Scholes
• Automotive MLR- Deer Isle Stonington HS-Jacob Sadler
• Automotive Tool ID-Ellsworth HS-Emily Jack
• Basic Health Care Skills- George Stevens Academy-Hope Osborn
• Career Pathways Human Services-Ellsworth HS- Breanna Wilbur, Mount Desert Island HS-Lexi Rich, Mount Desert Island HS- Rylie Clough
• Commercial Baking-Connections Academy- Raiya Vikberg
• Courtesy Corps-Narraguagus HS- Haley Batson, Ellsworth HS- Mackenzie Mitchell, Ellsworth HS-Katelyn Brady
• Crime Scene Investigation-Bucksport HS- Gabriel Stegner, Ellsworth HS- Chase Johnson, Ellsworth HS- Reece Jagels
• Criminal Justice-Mount Desert Island HS- Jaiden Scott, Ellsworth HS- Samantha Simmons
• Criminal Justice Quizbowl- George Stevens Academy- Shelby Williamson, George Stevens Academy- Maxim Severnyak, George Stevens Academy- Andrew Pappianne, Bucksport HS- Kelsie Cirillo, Ellsworth HS- Brianna Simpson
• Culinary Arts-Ellsworth HS- Logan Grass
• Diesel Equipment Technology- Mount Desert Island HS- Andrew Clark
• Diesel Equipment Technology-Mount Desert Island HS Jack Murch
• Digital Cinema Production-Sumner Memorial HS- Katerina Formby, Narraguagus HS- Mackenzie Arey
• Digital Cinema Production-Ellsworth HS- Matthew Reid, Ellsworth HS-Benjamin Snow
• Employability Knowledge Test-Mount Desert Island HS- Dakota Dobson
• Employability Knowledge Test-Deer Isle Stonington HS- Thomas Hutchinson
• Employment Application Process-Sumner Memorial HS- Melinda Coombs
•  Health Knowledge Bowl-Ellsworth HS- Makayla Fishburn, Ellsworth HS- Megan Gammill, Ellsworth HS- Taylor Clark, Mount Desert Island HS- Lanvin Estacio
• Health Occupations Profession-Ellsworth HS- Elaine Hutchins
• Heavy Equipment Operations-Ellsworth HS- Anthony Benoit
• Heavy Equipment Operations-Ellsworth HS- Jacob Austin
• Heavy Equipment Operations-Bucksport HS- Blake Dow
• Interactive Application & Video-Ellsworth HS- Warren Dowling, Mount Desert Island HS- Eli Shine
• Job Interview- Ellsworth HS- Madison Sanchez
• Job Skill Demo O-Ellsworth HS- Taylor Richardson
• Medical Math-Sumner Memorial HS- Belinda Catheron
• Nurse Assisting-Deer Isle Stonington HS- Emma Plummer
• Photography-Sumner Memorial HS- Harley Days
• Photography-Sumner Memorial HS- Hannah Riley
• Power Equipment Technology-Ellsworth HS- Devon Sinclair
• Prepared Speech-Mount Desert Island HS- Lillian Philbrook
• Quiz Bowl-Mount Desert Island HS- Julia Perconti, Ellsworth HS- Marissa Havey, Ellsworth HS- Bryce Carter, Deer Isle Stonington HS- Ariel Larrabee, Ellsworth HS- Kerrigan Andrews, Bucksport HS- Christian Winslow, Ellsworth HS- Stephanie Trowbridge
• Restaurant Service-Ellsworth HS- Emily Brown
• State T-Shirt Design-Bucksport HS- Kylie Johnson
• Television Production-Ellsworth HS- Michael Farley, Ellsworth HS- Nicholas Cormier
• Television Production-Bucksport HS- Kimberly Parent, Bucksport HS- Anthoney Smith
• Wedding Cake Design-Mount Desert Island HS- Race Parsons, Bucksport HS- Stephanie Bennett
• Wedding Cake Design-Home Schooled student- Mackenzie Merriam, George Stevens Academy- Isabella Cox
• Welding-Sumner Memorial HS- Tyler Moon
• Welding Sculpture -Sumner Memorial HS- Jenna French-

We also had three students get elected to the SkillsUSA State Officer Team this year.  We are proud to announce Ellsworth HS Biomedical Sciences student Bryce Carter, Mount Desert Island Biomedical Sciences student Lillian Philbrook, and Ellsworth HS Multimedia Design student Ben Snow were elected to state officer positions for the State of Maine SkillsUSA Officer Team.

Maine State Science Fair:  This year several of our biomedical students completed independent research projects to present at the Maine State Science Fair competition.  There were over 300 students that competed this year from over 40 different schools grades 9-12 across the state.  We were the only Career and Technical School to have an award winner.

First, Elizabeth Chattley an Ellsworth High School junior won the Reach Award.  The Reach Center Award (sponsored by Maine Math Science Alliance) recognizes outstanding research and engineering projects by students from schools new to the MSSF.   Only five are given.  Elizabeth's project tested the erosion-preventing qualities of blueberry plants and suggested that blueberry bushes would be more environmentally friendly as a replacement for plants used to avoid soil erosion.  She suggests that replacing at least some of our lawns with blueberries would require less chemicals and help bees, as well as other vital insect populations.  Congratulations Elizabeth

Finally, our BIGGEST award winner at this year’s Science Fair was Ariel Larrabee, a Deer Isle Junior who does Bridge Academy at Ellsworth HS.  She won second place in the Materials Science category!  Ariel Larrabee's project developed a biodegradable fishing lure to reduce plastics in the environment and address the increasing problem where lures are being retained in the guts of fish and slowly starving them to death

In addition, she won one of 12 FULL TUITION UMO scholarships!  Awardees will join the UM Top Scholars Program, including a full tuition renewable scholarship to The University of Maine and admission to the UM Honors College.  In addition, Ariel will be matched with a faculty mentor and receive an annual research supply budget.  The scholarship is renewable for up to four years with a maintained 3.3 GPA.

She also won one of two College of the Atlantic scholarships:  This Presidential level award provides a $20,000 scholarship renewable for up to four years with a maintained 3.0 GPA or equivalent, and full-time enrollment at COA.

She won one of five Husson scholarships: This award provides one non-renewable $1,000 scholarship that the student may use for any Husson course including summer, online, on an either full or part-time basis. Full-time enrollment at Husson University is not a prerequisite.

BRIDGE ACADEMY:

We continue to be fortunate to receive a grant enabling students from Ellsworth HS, Sumner Memorial HS, Bucksport HS, MDI HS, Narraguagus High School and Deer Isle Stonington HS to become a part of our county’s Bridge Academy cohort. These students spend half a day in a program at HCTC and a half day at Ellsworth taking University of Maine and EMCC college courses in Math, Science, English and Social Studies.  These courses allow students to receive both high school and college credits. These students upon graduation, if successful in each course, will receive up to 30 Univ of ME college credits.  Students doing the Bridge Academy program are eligible within economic guidelines to receive the CSSP Department of Labor Bridge Year Scholarship.  This scholarship paid for their high school college class tuition and will follow them to cover tuition at their school.

Junior Cohort:

• Ellsworth HS, Biomedical Sciences Kerrigan Andrews,
• Ellsworth HS, Biomedical Sciences Bryce Carter,
• Ellsworth HS, Health Occupations Taylor Clark,
• Ellsworth HS, Multimedia Design Nicholas Cormier,
• Ellsworth HS, Biomedical Sciences Elise Dow,
• Ellsworth HS, Law Enforcement Chase Johnson,
• Deer Isle Stonington HS, Biomedical Sciences Ariel Larrabee,
•  Ellsworth HS, Multimedia Design Paulette Paul,
• Mount Desert Island HS, Biomedical Sciences Lillian Philbrook,
• Ellsworth HS, Multimedia Design Matthew Reid,

Graduating BRIDGE ACADEMY COHORT:  (some are graduating with 20-30 credits).  

• Narraguagus HS, Multimedia Design Mackenzie Arey, - Empire Beauty School for Cosmetology
• Ellsworth HS, Health Occupations Brooke Carver, - University of Maine for Biology
• Ellsworth HS, Biomedical Sciences- Jaden Cummings, - Thomas College for Cybersecurity
• Ellsworth HS, Health Occupations-Makayla Fishburn, - Husson University for Physical Therapy
• Sumner Memorial HS, Multimedia Design-Katerina Formby, - Husson University for Occupational Therapy.
• Deer Isle Stonington HS, Culinary Arts-Thomas Hutchinson, - Working- self employed fisherman.
• Ellsworth HS, Biomedical Sciences-Stephanie Trowbridge, - University of Maine for Human Dimensions of Climate Change

Program awards:  We will honor each program award winners at this time.  There are several awards that will be given in each program area.

First, a small plaque is given to an underclassmen with outstanding academic achievement and character.  This student is in the first year of a program continuing on into the second year of the program next year.

A large plaque recognizes second year students who has completed a two year program and has outstanding academic achievement and character with plans to continue in their field.

Program Dedication is given to a student who has shown outstanding commitment to the program and to the trade.  Their passion for the program goes above and beyond.

Automotive Technology:  

• Small Plaque:  Deer Isle Stonington HS , Zachary Billings
• Large Plaque: Ellsworth HS, Devon Sinclair
• Program Dedication:  Deer Isle Stonington High School, Jacob Sadler

Biomedical Science:  

• Small:  Ellsworth HS, Bryce Carter
• Large:  Ellsworth HS, Stephanie Newell
• Program Dedication:  Ellsworth HS, Noah Scholes

Culinary Arts:  

• Small Plaque:  Mount Desert Island HS, Dakota Dobson
• Large Plaque:  Connections Academy, Raiya Vikberg
• Program Dedication:  Bucksport HS, Stephanie Bennett

Diesel Technology:  

• Small Plaque: Mount Desert Island HS, Andrew Clark
• Large Plaque:  Ellsworth HS, Tucker Harrington
• Program Dedication:  Bucksport HS, Micah Hileman,

Early Childhood Education:  

• Small Plaque:  Mount Desert Island, Sophia Watras
• Large Plaque:  Mount Desert Island HS,  Rylie Clough
• Program Dedication:  Mount Desert Island HS, Lexi Rich

Health Occupations:  

• Small Plaque: Ellsworth HS, Elaine Hutchins
• Large Plaque:  Bucksport HS, Jocelyn Tozier
• Program Dedication:  Ellsworth HS, Brooke Carver

Law Enforcement:  

• Small Plaque:  Ellsworth HS, Reece Jagels
• Large Plaque:  Ellsworth HS, Brianna Simpson
• Program Dedication:  Bucksport HS, Kelsie Cirillo

Marine Service Technology:  

• Program Dedication: Mount Desert Island HS,  Ivan Andros

Multimedia Design:  

• Small: Ellsworth HS, Ben Snow
• Large Plaque:  Mount Desert Island HS, Eli Shine
• Program Dedication:  Ellsworth HS, Matthew Reid

Welding Technology:  

• Small Plaque:  Sumner Memorial HS, Tyler Moon
• Large Plaque:  Bucksport HS, Joshua Simpson
• Program Dedication:  Bucksport HS, Kaleb Forgues

MACTE Student of the Year:  This award is given annually to one student at each Career and Technical Center across the state.  The award winner must have completed a program, have good attendance, behavior, outstanding academic achievement and excelled in their program area. This year’s award winner is a Culinary Arts student from Ellsworth HS, Logan Grass.

Logan’s current GPA is 3.81.  His tireless efforts of coming up with delicious culinary delights have been noticed by our patrons that come in for our weekly in-house, student run restaurant.  They often ask Logan for his recipes and can’t wait to see what he has cooked up for the following week.  Logan creates all the menus for our restaurant, banquets and buffets.  Our sending school Principals and Superintendents all know Logan and are always excited to taste his creations at their monthly meetings and luncheons.

Logan is also known statewide, as Chef Beriau, the Curriculum Director for Pro-Start in Maine, often talks about Logan to other culinary instructors throughout the state.  Logan won a gold medal in Culinary Arts at the 2019 SkillsUSA Maine state competition and attended the National competition in Louisville, Kentucky.  Logan was deemed the Culinary student to beat at this year’s state competition that was sadly cancelled due to COVID-19.

Last summer Logan took his skills to Provender Restaurant in Ellsworth.  He gained valuable knowledge and experience in the restaurant setting.  This coming summer, he will be working for the local YMCA as the summer camp chef.   Logan has been accepted to Johnson & Wales University and will be attending the Tampa, Florida campus.  I have no doubt Logan will be an exceptional student in college and will have a highly successful career in the Food Service Industry.

Finally, each year we give Top Drawer Awards to two students who exude the types of characteristics that best personify career and technical education.  These students are to be not only tops of their class and program areas, but also top people.  They are to be invested in our school either by dedicating time to our school or by exuding those types of characteristics we want our top career and technical education students to possess.  These students will also pursue their program areas beyond graduation..

Our first award winner is from Ellsworth HS, Law Enforcement student Samantha Simmons.   Over the course of the last two years, Sam has clearly established herself as a student with a tenacious desire to learn the law enforcement profession. Sam has displayed the highest level of professionalism on a continual basis throughout the classroom during activities and scenario work. She is respected by her peers and is looked up to as a student to emulate. In addition, Samantha has continually shown throughout a variety of units of instruction that she has the ability to not only defend herself, but to do so with the utmost of restraint and perseverance. All of these facets are not only the signs of a true consummate professional, but are the epitome of the core values that are expected of a police officer.

Over the course of her two years, Sam has not only been selected as the Law Enforcement Student of the Month on several occasions, but was selected as the HCTC Student of the Month in September, 2019.  Samantha is a member of the National Honor Society at EHS and was inducted into NTHS this evening. Samantha was inducted into the Olympia Snowe Woman’s Leadership Institute and was involved in athletics at EHS, priding herself in sportsmanship and giving 100% all the time.

Samantha has volunteered and given back to HCTC during her time with us.  She has been a mentor at every Middle School Camp we have hosted, as well as volunteering for the Boggy Brook 5k last year. She is also active in the community, helping with the scoring at sporting events, assisting middle school basketball at Sedgwick Middle School, and taking part in Rachel’s Challenge.  Samantha will be attending Eastern Maine Community College in the fall majoring in Criminal Justice.

Our second award winner is a Health Occupations student from Mount Desert Island HS.  I am proud to announce Lanvin Luiz Estacio is our other Top Drawer award winner.

Lanvin completed the Certified Nursing Assisting program last year, receiving his certification as a CNA.  He also has completed a dual enrollment in Medical Terminology and will have his CRMA in June.

Luiz is a pleasure to have in class because of the multitude of both personal and professional skills that he exhibits.  He is a kind, thoughtful and respectable young man. During class and clinical, Luiz has a very positive attitude about learning about the medical field.   Throughout this time he has shown that he also has good leadership qualities.  He is always willing to help other students with their learning in class.

In the health care facility, Luiz has already proved to be a strong worker in the field.   He has worked at a MDI Hospital since he became a CNA last summer.  At this hospital, he has been working long shifts as a nursing assistant in the emergency department. This is the first student from HCTC to be hired right into an emergency department.

Luiz was chosen to compete in the Health Knowledge Bowl at SkillsUSA Maine.           He has been very involved at HCTC, being the classroom representative for SkillsUSA and volunteering at school functions and fundraisers. Last year Luiz was inducted into the National Technical Honor Society.  This past fall Luiz spent multiple days at Ellsworth Elementary Middle School helping the school nurse with hearing and vision screenings.

Luiz has been a member of the MDI high school swim team for all four years of high school. He is an active member of his church.  He has done volunteer time at a local library.

Luiz’s plan for postsecondary is to attend  Brigham Young University (BYU) Idaho for nursing.  Once he receives his nursing degree , he plans to go on to receive his nurse anesthetist degree.

Finally, we have several significant scholarships to award this evening.

Embark Scholarship: The Maine Community College System and the Embark program will help each Embark Scholarship student matriculate in a program of study at one of the seven Maine community colleges. This scholarship is $500 per semester, up to $1000 for a one-year program and $2000 for a two-year program, for a maximum of four semesters.  We are pleased to announce we have three award winners.

• First from Deer Isle Stonington HS, an Early Childhood Education and Culinary Arts student: Rachel Shepard.  She will be attending Eastern Maine Community College majoring in Early Childhood Education.
• Second from Ellsworth HS a diesel technology student, Tucker Harrington.  He will be attending Eastern Maine Community College majoring in Welding.
• And finally, from Ellsworth HS a Law Enforcement student, Samantha Simmons.  She  will be attending Eastern Maine Community College and majoring in Criminal Justice.

Maine Blue Collar Scholarship:  The Maine Blue Collar Scholarship honors those students entering the trades.  Over 200 applications were received and we are happy to announce that a 1000.00 award is being given to Cole Allen From MDI HS for his work in welding technology.

Rotary Club Scholarship:  The Rotary Club of Ellsworth respects the value of vocation to its members and the community.  The club  is pleased to offer four seniors enrolled at HCTC a scholarship in the amount of $1000.   Criteria includes:  academic achievement, need, and community and school engagement.  This year’s recipients are:

• Ellsworth HS Biomedical Sciences student Taylor Richardson.  She will attend the University of Maine to major in Elementary Education.
• Bucksport HS Health Occupations student Jocelyn Tozier.  She will attend Husson University to major in Healthcare Administration.
• Ellsworth HS Health Occupations student Marissa Atwater.  She will attend Husson University to major in Nursing.
• Narraguagus HS Early Childhood Education student Michael Haire.  He will attend UMaine Machias to major in Early Childhood Education

Congratulations to each of you on your 1000.00 scholarship!

Bar Harbor Bank and Trust Scholarship:  Bar Harbor Bank & Trust is pleased to award scholarships to students graduating from the class of 2020 who have been enrolled in programs at Hancock County Technical Center.

In 2007, the Bank created the Career & Technical Education Scholarship Awards for deserving students who met the application criteria and had immediate plans to further their education beyond high school.  Each award is in the amount of $1,500.  Bar Harbor Bank & Trust awarded 15 Career & Technical Education scholarships of $1500 each to 2020 high school graduates in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.  Application criteria included attending a technical career program (in designated geographies) as part of their high school curriculum, describing their career aspirations and college choice in a personal statement, as well as sharing their leadership and community service experiences.

The four students receiving the Bar Harbor Bank & Trust Scholarships are:

• Narraguagus HS, Early Childhood Education student Haley Batson. Haley plans to attend Univ of Maine at Farmington for Elementary Education.
• Sumner Memorial HS, Diesel Technology Student Jenna French.  Jenna plans to attend Universal Technical Institute for Auto/Diesel Technician
• Mount Desert Island HS, Culinary Arts student Race Parsons.  Race plans to attend Johnson and Wales for Baking and Pastry Arts.
• Ellsworth HS, Culinary Arts student Justice Rotta-Butler.  Justice plans to attend EMCC for Culinary Arts

FRANKLIN SAVINGS BANK: Franklin Savings Bank Community Development Foundation was established in 2000 as a charitable organization to make grants/contributions to organizations and individuals within the communities served by Franklin Savings Bank. New this year, Franklin Savings Bank is offering 4 additional scholarships, totaling $12,000 to seniors from local technical schools, who will be entering 2 or 4 year accredited certification programs or pursuing a degree from technical vocational schools, colleges, or universities.  The criteria is: high academic achievement in desired tech program, community citizenship, participation in extra-curricular activities including athletics, band, drama, language club, etc, and financial need.  I am proud to announce this student will receive a $3000.00 scholarship.

Ellsworth HS, Biomedical Science student Marissa Havey.  She will be attending UMPI for exercise science.

Finally, I am pleased to announce Maine’s Career and Technical Education partnership with the MELMAC Education Foundation.  We have been very fortunate to be receiving a MELMAC grant for the last 4 years.  This year, I am pleased to announce that we have the opportunity to award a 2,000 scholarship to a seniors’ second semester of study at a post-secondary institution.

The award recipient must meet the following criteria:

• Be a solid school citizen
• Make a difference in the lives of others and that of his/her community
• Make a positive contribution to the school environment
• Exhibit a commitment to public service
• Demonstrate satisfactory academic progress in their chosen program
• Have the potential to make a difference in the world

In December of 2020, this student will receive a 2000 check towards their second semester of study if successfully completing their first semester.  I am pleased to award this scholarship to Culinary Arts student Raiya Vikberg from Connections Academy.  Raiya will be attending the Culinary Institute of America and majoring in Baking and Pastry Arts.