PIQUA — Students and staff members who participated in the Germany Exchange program with Upper Valley Career Center shared their experiences during the Tuesday meeting of the Upper Valley Career Center’s Board of Education meeting.
Tony Trapp and Michelle Brunson introduced students that participated in the Germany Exchange program. Students that attended the Germany trip were Aiden Keener, Piqua, Benjamin York, Russia, Logan Aufderhaar, Botkins, Simon Baker, Piqua, Calder Bergman, Fort Loramie, Eli Boerge, Fort Loramie, Clara Brown, Troy, Jack Chappie, Piqua, Brayden Frilling, Fort Loramie, Eva Goubeaux, Russia, and A.J. Ruhenkamp, Fort Loramie. Students shared their experiences regarding the differences between the German education system and the U.S. education system. Students were able to attend classes, tour manufacturing facilities, and learn about German culture.
This is the forth such exchange between Upper Valley Career Center and bbs/me in Hanover, Germany. The students thanked the Board of Education for their support of this trip and also the Troy Foundation Hartstein/Favorite Grant.
Superintendent Jason Haak expressed his gratitude for the students and staff earning the Overall 5-Star Award for the District’s performance on the 2022-23 Career-Technical Planning District Report Card. The accomplishment reflects the Career Center’s unwavering commitment to excellence and the outstanding service provided to our students and community. This award recognizes the devoted staff who consistently go above and beyond, ensuring that all students receive exceptional learning opportunities and career based instruction. Only 19 of the 49 Joint Vocational Schools in the state received this recognition.
Haak congratulated the seven students that participated in the National Collegiate Landscape Competition. The event was held at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Over the course of five days, students were involved in a multitude of landscape/professional growth workshops, a career exploration event with over 100 employers looking to attract the nations top talent, event briefings, and lastly the landscape competitions. The event had over 600 college students from 49 colleges and universities. Upper Valley Career Center is one of two high schools invited to the event. Students competed in a variety of competitions, some of the top finishes included Chase Quinter, fourth place Skid Steer Operation; Jackson Hemmert and Michael Hohenstein, eighth place Irrigation Assembly; Boston Sherman, seventh place Compact Excavator Operation; and Michael Hohenstein, 12th place in Mini Skid Steer Operation. Sherman was also 57th and Quinter was 88th overall, putting them in the top 15% of all students.
Haak extended congratulations to the UVCC Educators Rising State Competition participants. Chapter Display, fifth place and Interactive Bulletin Board, Cecilia Klinger, Alani Marshall; CTSO Lesson Planning- Daphne Lavey, 10th place; Job Interview, Owen Hershberge, ninth place; Public Speaking, Talitha Adams, ninth place; Inside Our Schools, Alexis Jacobs, Hannah Palmer, Jenna Snyder, second place and qualifying for Nationals.
Haak shared the results of the Business Professionals of America State Competition. Students from Sidney/UVCC BPA placed in the Top Ten at the Business Professionals of America State Leadership Conference with some of the individuals qualifying for the National Leadership Conference. Students were Keaton Shaffer, Human Resource Management, ninth place; Brooklyn Koester, Extemporaneous Speech, seventh place; Parker Slaven, C++ Programming, third place and qualified for Nationals; Ivan Spencer, C++ Programming, first place and qualified for Nationals; Brooklyn Koester, Keaton Shaffer, Isiah Macias and Danny Orr, Web Applications and qualified for Nationals.
Haak shared the list of individuals who qualified for the National SkillsUSA Competition. Miranda Evans and Jack Chappie, Mechatronics Team Contest – Robotics, Gold; Alex Frohna and Devon Abshire, Robotics and Automation Team Contest – Robotics, Gold; Wyatt Royse, Sheet Metal – HVAC, Gold; Landon Grunow, Graphic Communication – Digital Design and Print, Gold; Andrea Jutte, Horticulture – Landscape and Natural Resources, Gold (no contest at Nationals). Students who placed in the State Competition were Tayler Klosterman, Cosmetology, Cosmetology,-Silver; Luke Gilbert, Maintenance & Light Repair (Auto), Auto Tech – Silver; Molly Lavins, Photography, Interactive Media, Silver; Cooper Gambrell, Horticulture, Landscape Natural Resources, Bronze, Lucas Jacobs, Maintenance & Light Repair (Auto),- Auto Tech, Bronze; Trace (Cooper) Nishwitz, Related Technical Math, Pre-Engineering and Design, Brnze; and Simon Baker, Technical Drafting, Pre-Enginnering and Design, Bronze.
Deanna Rodeheffer, UVCC Pre-Engineering and Design student from Fort Loramie, has been selected as a State SkillsUSA officer.
The Upper Valley Career Center SkillsUSA Chapter has been recognized by the Ohio Association of SkillsUSA as a Chapter of Excellence Program Gold Level Chapter. Upper Valley Career Center is one of only 13 chapters in Ohio to receive this honor and was recognized at the State Conference. Upper Valley Career Centers Application will move on to the National Conference for the potential of additional recognition.
Haak said students and staff of the Upper Valley Career Center participated in the second blood drive of the year. Sixty-nine total donors registered with twenty-six donors being first-time donors. A goal of 47 units being collected was set for the Career Center. During this event, 53 units were collected, achieving 112% of the goal.
