 Let's hope these clouds just keep going and they just cooled us down a little bit. I can't turn it up. You guys hear it okay? All right. Good evening and welcome to the 2022-2023 Central Vermont Career Center awards ceremony. Thank you for coming. My name is Jodi Emerson and the Superintendent Director of the Central Vermont Career Center School District. As many of you know, this was our first year as an independent school district. Thank you for the voters across this field right now and across our ascending career and technical education. In addition to becoming our own school district supported by a board that is representative of our ascending region, we added two new opportunities for students this past year. We added emergency services level two in collaboration with Vermont Technical College where students are taking paramedicine courses and we added design and fabrication in collaboration with the Vermont Granite Museum, a model of teaching by contracting with Vermont heating and ventilation to provide us a master plumber in support of our plumbing and heating program this year. It is so exciting to partner with college and industry as this allows our students to truly be career ready. The students before you are leaving us this evening with several industry recognized credentials, college credits and or the opportunity to sit for a state licensure exam. Our students have worked very hard to get where they are today. Good job. I would like to welcome you to look around. The Central Vermont Career Center receives students from surrounding districts spanning many many square miles. There are students and families represented here from Cabot High School, Danville High School, Harwood Union High School, Lemoyle Union High School, Montpelier High School, Northfield Middle and High School, Randolph Union High School, Spalding High School, Twinfield Union High School, U-32 Middle and High School, Williamstown Middle and High School, and many home study students as well from across our region. Thank you all for making the CVCC learning community possible. Although I'm sure we are all ready for summer, it is difficult when you have to send off some of your own. It's always hard to say farewell to amazing staff who are headed to new challenges. I want to thank Jerry Remor for all the work he has done here on behalf of students as our STEM coordinator. He has also been our testing assessment coordinator and done just about everything we've asked him to, including sub in almost every classroom and helped set up today. So thank you, Jerry, for all that you have done and for always being a helping hand. Sadly, we are closing our natural resources program with this class here today and our instructor who joined us for one year and did a phenomenal job taking kids on so many field trips and getting lots of great experiences. We wish Ari Latanzee good luck as she heads off on a new career path. Thank you, Ari. We're moving some classrooms around for next year. I want to give a big shout out to all of the careers that are students and staff who spent much of this week cleaning and moving materials for us. So thank you so much for that. When you arrived today, I had hoped that a playlist would be playing and that you would have music while you waited. And unfortunately due to technical difficulties, that didn't happen. And every single song that was on my playlist, the title of is in the next few paragraphs that I have for you. So maybe you'll catch a few of those titles and go home and listen to them and I'm sorry you didn't get to hear them before the event today. Every day we all make hundreds, sometimes thousands of decisions. Some of them without thought. For all of us, there are times when we make decisions we are proud to have made and others when we look back that we wish we may have responded differently. I hope that each and every one of you recognizes when you have done well and that you give yourself credit where credit is due. It's important to look back every now and then and reflect on how far we've come. If you've made mistakes and we all have, remind yourself that you are responsible and that you can take this opportunity to learn and grow. When it feels like you have it all, run with it till you drop. Then take a moment to catch your breath, refocus, be brave and rise up. Know that the climb up from what feels like rock bottom may not be easy but that you are unstoppable. These are days that build your character and strengthen you. There will be times when you hear the word no and you must understand that no is not a bad word. Sometimes it's a blessing. Sometimes it simply means not yet. It's important to have patience, don't stop believing and persist when you know you are on the right track. It's true that when one door closes another opens. For some of you your high school experience is coming to a close and ahead of you there are wide open spaces. You might be thinking good riddance to high school and saying I'll see you again someday to your friends. Meanwhile your parents might be saying you're on your own kid. To students and parents alike I guarantee you're going to miss this time in your lives. For those of you who will return to us next year, whether faculty or student, I look forward to continuing to work with you. For those students who have completed your high school requirements and are taking your next steps, many of you are heading straight into industry you've trained for. Some of you heading to college for additional training. Some of you headed into the military. And others of you, you haven't decided yet. That's OK. Take all that you have learned thus far and apply it as you see fit moving forward. My wish is that when you look back you can say I lived. Maybe you'll look back on your life and think of these times as a good old days. Though it is likely that the best day of your life is yet ahead of you. I encourage you to be a light. Be humble and kind. Be thankful for all that you have and keep moving forward chasing your dreams till you can't. We have three student speakers tonight. Students are nominated by program instructors and invited to give a speech at this ceremony. This year we had several nominations and three students who drafted speeches for the occasion. At this time I would like to invite our first student speaker to the stage, Willow Sellers. You want to be pretty close to it so people can hear you. Should I stand up here? Only if you need to. Hello, everyone. Families. Can you hear me? Awesome. I've never spoken into a microphone before. OK. Families, faculty, and my fellow peers behind me. I actually tried looking up online. How to even write one of these? But that was getting too difficult. So I decided to do it myself. Like most people, typical public high school was not my jam and I'm sure most of you guys can relate. I've always struggled with the average school's curriculum and environment. I heard about CVCC as an eighth grader and ever since that assembly in my auditorium I've been looking forward to the day I would be able to come here. The day I got my acceptance letter I was at my sending school anticipating it all day. I opened my email and almost as soon as I got the notification on my phone I burst out crying with joy. But I'm not embarrassed by that. When you find an opportunity like CVCC you might cry. And naturally I called my mom yelling I got in, I got in, I got in. Ever since I was little I've had a passion for all things hair and beauty. Little Me would take any opportunity to play with my grandma's hair, even my partially balding grandfather. But that didn't stop me. I feel fortunate to have known my passion at such a young age, knowing a lot of kids don't have a clue in the world what they want to do. But that's where CVCC comes into play. You don't need to know exactly what you want to do with your life to come here. Take the exploratory program for example. It literally has explore in the name. For those of you that don't know, exploratory is available for students who want to come to a program but aren't old enough yet or just don't know their passion yet. Yet is a key word there. I know people here who had no idea that they'd enjoy their program as much as they do now. And it is truly credible to see. Switching gears a little bit, I'd like to say a few thank yous. First of all, my teacher, Miss McCritchie. Your teaching style and your love for cosmetology is truly amazing and inspires me to excel. In all my 11 years of school, I've never wanted to learn until I came to your class. When I was a freshman, my friend was in your class. And at that point, I had already had my mind set on coming here, but hearing her explain and talk about her experience in your classroom made me all the more excited. My next thank you goes out to the administrators who are constantly working their bets off here. And sometimes I feel like they don't get nearly as much appreciation as they should. I see all your efforts, and I'm grateful that you all make this place as welcoming and as safe as possible. Next, my classmates, who have now become some of my best friends. Apparently, that's rare in a class full of mostly girls. And honestly, in the beginning, it was looking to be true. But as the year went on, we settled our differences. And I'm so grateful for that. To wrap this up, I'd just like to say that this has been the best school year I've ever had. And I'm looking forward to another great one next year. Thank you. And now I'm going to turn it over to the assistant director here at CBCC, Hannah Leland. We will continue our celebration this evening by presenting a number of our outstanding students with awards and scholarships generously donated by community organizations, businesses, and individuals who recognize the value of a solid technical education and who want to encourage our students as they further their studies or begin their technical careers. The first award we will be presenting this evening is the Golden Wrench Award. This award is presented by the Vermont Automotive Enthusiast to an outstanding junior in the Automotive Technology Program. This junior shows excellent workplace skills and craftsmanship both in and out of the shop. The award consists of over $1,000 worth of tools and scholarships. This year's award winner, John Marcellus, was presented this award prior to tonight's evening. John, please stand to be recognized. Congratulations to John on receiving this award. The next award is the American Legion Auxiliary Berry Unit Number 10 Scholarship. Will medical profession student, Kailin Townsend, please come forward? The American Legion Auxiliary is the world's largest women's patriotic service organization. The men and women who make up the membership of the department and local posts continue to serve America and its citizens by providing access to deserving young men and women who focus on betterment of their lives through higher education. Maria McKnight, representative of the American Legion Auxiliary, will present Kailin with the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 10 Scholarship of $1,000. Congratulations Kailin. Next is the Berry Kiwanis Club Award. Will cosmetology student, Amira Sievertsson, please come forward? The Kiwanis Club focuses on serving the children of the world, specifically helping children thrive, prosper, and grow. During their time at CVCC, Amira has focused on supporting all students at Central Vermont Career Center as a student member of the State Board of Education. We hope Amira continues to thrive in all of her future endeavors. Representative Randy Trace will present Amira with $1,000 Berry Kiwanis Club Award. Congratulations, Amira. The next award is from Benoit Electric. This award is presented to a graduating electrical student. The student will receive a donation of tools of the trade. Will electrical technology student, Kail Peacore, please come forward? Ms. Emerson will present Kail with the tools of the trade gift. Congratulations, Kail. The next award is from Boldick Metal and Recycling. This award, named the You Crush It Award, is for either a plumbing, electrical, or building trade student. Will co-op plumbing and heating student, Cole Dizon, please come forward? Ms. Emerson will present Cole with a $250 check from Boldick Metal and Recycling. Congratulations, Cole. Tools of the trade. The next award is from the Kingsbury Companies. This award is to be given to a deserving student who will be gifted a tool of the trade. Will plumbing and heating student, Marshall Asia, please come forward? Ms. Emerson will present Marshall with the tools of the trade gift. Congratulations, Marshall. I'm holding my dress, I'm sorry. Oh my god. The next award is from Lenny Shoe and Apparel, Inc. This is the first of two awards being given by Lenny Shoe and Apparel to purchase on-the-job clothing and footwear. Each is to be given to one student in the plumbing and heating or co-op with a grade point average of 3.0 or better. For the first award, will co-op plumbing and heating program student, Tucker Collins, please come forward? Mr. Mark McCarthy of Lenny Shoe and Apparel will present Tucker with a $500 gift card. Congratulations, Tucker. The second gift card given by Lenny Shoe and Apparel is also to purchase on-the-job clothing and footwear for a student in the plumbing and heating program or co-op with a grade point average of 3.0 or better. Will co-op plumbing and heating program student, Jackson Bailey Perkins, please come forward? Mr. McCarthy will present Jackson with a $1,000 gift card. Congratulations, Jackson. Next is the Lisa P. Donahue Award. This award goes out to honor the legacy of Lisa Donahue, who was a fierce businesswoman in a male-dominated field. It is being presented to a female youth student in a non-traditional program who has fully completed their programs with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher and must have shown proven leadership skills. Will emergency medical services program student, Eleanor Johnson, please come forward? Eleanor demonstrates a passion for lifelong learning and a passion for helping others. They continue to demonstrate the progress needed in a male-dominated industry by being top in their class, passionate for continued learning and a future leader in their industry. Eleanor is a fierce, driven individual who will go far in their industry and future endeavors. Ms. Renita Marshall of the Helping Hands Foundation, Inc. will present Eleanor with a check for $1,000. Congratulations, Eleanor. Next is the Melvin Amemoria McKnight Award. Will medical profession student, Amira Lewis, please come forward? The award will be presented as a $500 McKnight Award in appreciation of her hard work this school year. Congratulations, Amira. Next is the Michael W. Stone Memorial Scholarship. The recipient of the Michael W. Stone Memorial Scholarship is meant to be presented to an automotive student who displays compassion for helping others within the community and who is a lifelong learner. Automotive technology student, Dylan Bashaan, please come forward. Ari Crawford will be presenting Dylan with a letter that includes instructions on how to receive the $1,000 award and would also like to say a few words. Good evening. It is an honor to be here this evening to celebrate the accomplishments of Dylan for the first Michael W. Stone Memorial Scholarship. Prior to this evening's event, the committee shared with me words from teachers and counselors of Dylan's. They described him as a wonderful contributor to the CVCC community. He's a leader in his program, always on task, and helping his peers when needed. Dylan is kind and inclusive to everyone, as well as a role model to all other students. Dylan is self-motivated and is an exceptionally hard worker. He strives to get better at the things most important to him. Dylan is a wonderful teammate and leads by example. As I read what your counselors and teachers had written Dylan, the thought that came to my mind was what a wonderful choice of mentors, what a wonderful choice your mentors and peers made. They described so many of the wonderful traits and values of Michael Stone. Michael was a wonderful contributor to the community. He was always energetic and excited about sharing his passion, knowledge, skills, and talents, whether he shared this with family, friends, employees, students, and customers through conversation or by taking action to assist them when they needed help. He was equally excited by learning from others if they were willing to share their passions, their talents, their skills, and their knowledge. Michael always welcomed having a student from the automotive class to work with hands-on at a service station for their first working experience, both as a mechanic and to work on their communications with customers. Learning to appreciate the value of customer service and relationships. There was, so. Sorry, we have to be because of thunder. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Sorry, no one's right. Yeah, we'll catch them. No, no, no. Sorry, we're gonna move the students off of the metal since it sounds like thunder. And I know Thunder Road is happening, but I just don't think that's what it is. What do you wanna do? Try to move to the, try to move to the gym? Gym? If we can get it open? Yeah, we can. We're gonna move everybody into the gym. We're not gonna be quite as organized in there, but hopefully we'll be a lot safer. So bring your chairs with you, please. My keys, I have keys, I have keys. My tools are right here, I have all my stuff. Oh, that's not it. Sorry. This is yours. Yep. I'm going to the gym, hopefully. The gym? That's the word. Amen, more.