Whether its building skyscrapers or protecting freedom in some far flung part of the globe, Timothy Meadors, a third class cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point, is using skills he learned at Tulsa Technology Center. Meadors is currently a third year cadet at West Point and taking civil engineering courses. At Tulsa Tech, he graduated with a certification in carpentry and also served as vice president for the Oklahoma chapter of Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA). Meadors said his vocational education gave him both employment and leadership skills. Career and technology education is a family thing for Meadors, a Tulsa native. All of Meadors' four brothers and sisters graduated from Tulsa Tech and his father, Keenan Meadors, a Tulsa Police officer, once served on the school's board of education. Meadors has much praise for Tulsa Tech, Lemley Campus staffers John Rosell, carpentry instructor; Diane Moore, counselor, and Dr. David Holmes, director, who were his mentors while he was there. He said the best thing about being in Rosell's carpentry class was being able to see practical uses for the skills he was learning. "Mr. Rosell would show us how to lay out 16 inch studs and then we would go out into the shop and do it," he said. "Experiences like that just made you want to go out and learn more." At 18, Meadors had both a high school diploma and certification in carpentry. This gave him better employment prospects than many of his peers. "At that stage I could have joined a company or joined an apprentice program," he said. "If you can graduate with a high school diploma and a skill, you put yourself ahead of the game." Meadors added Rosell has so many contacts in the industry that landing a job interview was easy. He describes the support he received from Tulsa Tech staff as "amazing." "I have never had a teacher like that," he said speaking of Rosell. Meadors said Moore and Marsha Daves, VICA state adviser, introduced him to the many benefits of being involved with a career and tecnology student organization. Moore suggested that Meadors attend VICA's Summer Leadership Institute at Oklahoma State University. Meadors enjoyed his experience so much that he later successfully ran for state VICA vice president. Another Tulsa Tech staffer Paul King, advertising design instructor, helped Meadors by designing the fliers for his campaign. After graduation Meadors chose a military career. He was attracted to the military after hearing stories from his grandfather, who is a World War II veteran. "He'd often tell me stories of the excitement and the camaraderie and what he went through in the military," Meadors said. However the skills Meadors learned at Tulsa Tech will come in handy. After graduating from West Point, Meadors plans on becoming an officer in the infantry. Carpentry skills will also prove handy in Meadors' civil engineering classes. At West Point, Meadors has a demanding regime of academic and military activities. But, he still finds time to play on the basketball team and keep in touch with his former mentors at Tulsa Tech and in VICA. He looks back fondly on his memories of Tulsa Tech. "My experiences at vo-tech have been nothing but positive, from the day I first started to the day I graduated," he said. "God has blessed me."
	posted 1/4/2001	Story by: Manny Otiko, Communications and Marketing E-mail: motik@okvotech.org

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