Issue No. Five

Then:  A 1995 Catoosa High School graduate intent on a business career in accounting and banking. His interests changed while employed as an auditor at a Tulsa area hotel chain, and he enrolled in a hotel and lodging program. TTC’s Hotel and Lodging program helped Chad

• Combine industry experience.
• Achieve greater employment potential.
• Earn certification credentials through the American Hotel and Lodging Association and the Oklahoma Hotel and Lodging Association.

Now:  Chad is working and advancing in the Premiere Hospitality/Hilton organization.

Then: A 1977 Noble High School graduate interested in the electrical field and unable to afford a college education. Electrical trades programs were not yet offered, but MATC’s Heat, Ventilation and Air Conditioning program helped Micky

• Land a good job after graduation from the program.
• Develop skills to obtain both HVAC, and later, electrical licenses.
• Complete a satisfying 30-year career and then return to the CareerTech system as an instructor.

Now: An Electrical instructor at the Mabel Bassett Correctional Center’s Skills Center, Micky teaches female inmates some of the knowledge and skills he learned throughout his career. 

Then:  A Frontier High School student interested in people of different cultures with the desire  to learn useful skills. Meridian’s Masonry program helped Jamie

• Realize the value of a positive attitude and how to treat others.
• Learn to always work hard, “even when you don’t feel like it.”
• Develop skills in working with brick, block, ceramic tile, stone and concrete construction at on-site projects.

Now: For a semester in Rioverde, San Luis Potosi, Mexico Jamie attended high school where she made new friends and learned the Spanish language and culture. With her enhanced ability to work with Hispanics, she plans to work as a mason for a small business owner and one day own her own business.

Then: Mother of four ending an 11-year abusive relationship in need of new job skills.The electronics class at Caddo Kiowa Technology Center helped Rosie

• Learn basic electronic skills and principles about test equipment.
• Meet caring instructors who helped her overcome obstacles.
• Gain self-confidence.
• Qualify for MetroTech’s avionics program and receive an FCC license in radar endorsement.

Now:  Rosie, an electronic technician at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City, enjoys activities with her five grandchildren and confidently makes plans for her future.

Then: A lifelong passion for fitness drives Cecilia Holle to create a new training facility in Enid. Autry’s Small Business Development Program helped Cecilia by

• Providing tools to learn more about entrepreneurship.
• Assisting with a business plan, contractor relations and benefit package development.
• Helping develop a local workforce through training and recertification.

Now: In May 2007 Cecilia opened Body Solid,a new gym and personal training center. Since then the clientele has increased to 100, keeping 10 trainers busy, while sales have risen 300 percent. She continues to collaborate with athletic coaches to develop programs needed for their sports and make plans for facility expansion.

Then: Cooper’s Small Engine Repair class and SkillsUSA student organization helped Trevor

• Develop strategies for trouble-shooting.
• Stay focused to work under pressure to meet tight schedules.
• Win SkillsUSA Power Equipment Technologies competitive events on the state and national levels.

Now:  Hardway manages the Eastern Hemisphere Operations for Wood Group Surface Pumping Systems based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. There he coordinates and oversees system designs with engineering firms throughout Europe, Russia, Africa, the Middle East and the Asian Pacific.

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