ACTEAZ Editorial
By Tony York, ACTEAZ Media Manager
I would like to start by saying that in the last few years that I have worked with ACTEAZ I have come to a greater understanding of what CTE is, the important role it plays in education and the success it can establish in the futures of all CTE students. Career Technical Education is a step beyond what I remember from my own school days. It creates an environment where you can take your knowledge gained from a book, a chalkboard, or a teacher’s lesson plan and have the ability to use it in a hands-on approach using real-world applications. The number of CTE programs across the state and the success stories they are able to share remind me daily why I love working with ACTEAZ and help to support CTE across the state of Arizona.
Today I was able to visit the SkillsUSA state competition, my first of hopefully many CTSO competitions, and was amazed by the energy and pride I was met with by all the students and teachers I was fortunate enough to talk with. The teamwork, professionalism and skills shown in the various events was a fantastic display of how CTE helps our students flourish in their respective fields. The multitude of events from welding, masonry, automotive, robotics, cosmetology, media and broadcasting left me feeling something of a rubberneck as each new section caught my eye.
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this being my first major CTSO event to attend, but what I didn’t expect was to leave with a feeling of amazement and inspiration. Seeing firsthand the efforts and results achieved by so many promising students is almost enough to make me wish I was a student again myself. Congratulations to all the students who participated in this year’s competition. I look forward to sharing the results from here and from the National SkillsUSA Conference in June. As a part of ACTEAZ I am proud of all that CTE has, can and will accomplish in securing a better future for us all. Keep up the good work and I look forward to seeing you all in action again next year!
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