The CareerTech system accepts people as they are ­ where they are ­ and improves skills from that level. Oklahoma Choctaw Nation Assistant Chief Mike Bailey learned that through first-hand experience as a high school diesel mechanics student at Kiamichi Technology Center in Hugo.

Now, it's reinforced daily to him as an educator and tribal leader for the 130,000 members of the Oklahoma Choctaw Nation.

That's why Bailey has been named a CareerTech Champion. CareerTech Champions are alumni of Oklahoma's Career and Technology Education system programs or student organizations who have found success in a career and attribute much of that success to their CareerTech experience.

"My family was poor ­ and to me ­ the diesel mechanic program was a chance for a better life," Bailey said.

A 1978 graduate of Grant High School and the diesel mechanics program at Kiamichi Technology Center, Hugo, Bailey later earned a bachelor's degree in education from Southeastern Oklahoma State University; and a master's degree in education administration from East Central University, Ada.

After completing his higher education and teaching in public schools, Bailey was hired in 1985 as the superintendent for Jones Academy, a residential school for Indian students in grades 1-12.

While students live in the dorms, they go to Hartshorne Public Schools for academics and Kiamichi for CareerTech programs.

"At Jones, we have a consistent 179-190 enrollment. Kiamichi Technology Center comes to the dorms at Jones to pre-enroll students," Bailey said. "Many of the Jones graduates are employed all over the world."

In 1993, Bailey was hired as executive director of the Oklahoma Choctaw Nation. Four years later, he was appointed the Choctaw's assistant chief. Bailey believes that his CareerTech experience played an instrumental role in his rise to that position. "My instructor at Kiamichi Technology Center was Ron Wagoner," Bailey said. "He cared deeply about young people, and wanted them to learn both academics and skills in his classes." To keep his students interested in learning, sometimes Wagoner would bring in a truck that needed some work. "We'd overhaul the engine, working shoulder to shoulder with him and other adults wanting to improve their skills," Bailey said. "Once a week, he set aside time to spend on our own 'challenged' trucks. We liked that ­ and he knew it."

Wagoner was an important figure in Bailey's early life.

"He had a tremendous influence on me," Bailey said. "I want to be like him ­ to teach life lessons he taught me to our young people. We have so much responsibility to them. The future of the Choctaw Nation will be determined by our youth. Will they be prepared for what lies ahead?"

He has also discovered that you never know when some skills will come in handy. "While I'm not a diesel mechanic, I use the life lessons from Mr. Wagoner's class daily," Bailey said. "And, we (the Choctaw Nation) operate a number of diesel trucks. That's one of my areas of knowledge."

"Mr. Wagoner showed me instructors who take time, show concern for their students and stay late whenever needed, make a big difference in the lives of their students. It certainly made a difference for me."