The Maine Department of Education, in collaboration with Career and Technical Education (CTE) schools throughout Maine, is celebrating CTE month this February by highlighting some of the amazing women who have found their path in life through career and technical education. We hope their stories inspire you the way they have inspired us. (Here are the other stories featured in February: Danica Wooster, Madison Jackson, Amanda Baker.)

Emma Koch is currently in her senior year at Mountain Valley High School in Rumford, Maine, and in her second year at Region 9 School of Applied Technology where she participates in the metal trades program. The two-year program combines the hands-on use of machine tools and equipment with different types of welding and fabrication of metals through lab exercises and a variety of projects.

“Originally I wanted to do lathe work and carving but they only had building construction which wasn’t what I was looking for,” explained Koch. Instead, she took a chance with metal trades to try their lathes and precision machining.

“Going into it, I was hoping to become proficient in machining but soon realized that was not for me, so I shifted to the other end of the shop where the welders were,” said Koch.

After a short time in the booth, she realized she had a natural knack and love for stick arc welding, and that love soon spread to TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding.

“It’s been fun to watch Emma become a welder,” said Region 9 Metal Trades Instructor Curtiss Hallock. “It didn’t take long for her to discover that machining was not for her – she was pretty clear about that by lunchtime of her first day of machining.  It really validated her innate talent as a welder.”

As the only female in her class, Koch explains that the trades have always been largely dominated by men, making them quite an intimidating environment for women to try and be a part of. Looking past all that, Koch explains that she was actually excited to get into welding because her Pepere was a welder, and both her brothers-in-law knew the craft as well. “I was excited to be able to show them up,” she added.

Koch continues to develop her craft and aspires to continue being a high achiever in her program. “Last year, I passed my flat stick welding test, and I am hoping to pass my vertical test this winter,” she said. Passing this test will give her American Welding Society (AWS) certification.

“She raises the bar for everybody in the shop,” added Hallock. “But many of her natural strengths are the ones that can be hard to learn:  focus, determination, and drive.  She’s really good at blocking out distractions.  She stays with a project until it’s done.  She’ll be an outstanding welder if she chooses to pursue that path, but if not those skills will make her successful no matter what she chooses to do.”

As for the future, Koch has yet to figure out exactly what she wants to do but she has a plan to get the process started. “I know I want to go to college,” she said. “I’ll be starting at Central Maine Community College in Auburn next year to play soccer and iron out my future plans.” Koch says she is planning on participating in the upcoming statewide Skills USA competition happening next month in Bangor. This is the first time Region 9 has participated since COVID.

“We are very proud of Emma for being open to trying new experiences which has helped her discover a passion for welding,” said Region 9 Director Brenda Gammon.

When asked what advice she had for current and future CTE students, especially young women, Koch said, “The most important thing is to hold your ground and be open to their advice and help, but don’t let them believe that ‘girly’ stereotype we are given; we are strong, we are powerful, and we can do the trades just as good as anyone.”

Hancock County Technical Center (HCTC) opened its doors to the Maine Department of Education (DOE) on Valentine’s Day to provide a glimpse of what a day looks like within its walls. Upon arrival, the smell of baked scallops drifted down the hallway from the culinary program at work preparing a special meal for staff. The office was buzzing with the anticipation of another day of learning, with students and staff discussing college plans, transportation routes, and what they are looking forward to as the season changes. HCTC offers programs such as biomedical research, various types of automotive and technical specialties, early childhood education, health careers, hospitality and tourism, law enforcement, and more. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors from all over Hancock County have the opportunity to learn from specialists in their field of interest, with Director Bill Tracy and his dedicated staff there to oversee their endeavors.

Sabrina, a biomedical research support student, explained that she was drawn to the program after a 6th-grade field trip to HCTC opened her eyes to the possibilities available. After a 7th-grade STEM unit utilizing microscopes to investigate onion cells ignited her love for research, she knew that was the path she wanted to go on. HCTC’s biomedical program opened the doors for her to fully explore the field.

As a result of support from her HCTC educators and the Bridge Program, a dual enrollment opportunity that allows students to participate at HCTC while simultaneously taking college credits at their participating high school, Sabrina was accepted to the Aspirinaut High School Summer Internship Program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee. Sabrina is also participating in an ongoing collaboration with Jackson Labs to give her even more exposure to the worlds of scientific and medical research. Sabrina says she has learned a lot from her experience with HCTC and it helped fuel her passion. “This is what I was meant to do,” she said. She also observed from the professionals she interacts with that a career can be more than a job, realizing that, “your work can be your career and be emotionally satisfying.”

Hancock County Technical Center also boasts award-winning educators. Recent Milken Educator Award recipient Meghan Stubbs teaches early childhood education, working with students considering the classroom as their career. An in-house preschool started by Ms. Stubbs provides interactive, hands-on experience for her students while also providing a service to the community. The classroom boasts a full preschool room experience, complete with early childhood level tables and chairs, a “centers” area, and colorful student-created décor.

Her students are quick to point out what makes her an excellent role model and mentor. One of her third-year students, Isabell says, “She has a different way of teaching and gears it toward how we want to learn.”

She said if she could use one word to describe Ms. Stubbs it would be “passionate”. That passion was easy to see as Meghan led a class discussion about ADHD in children and adults.  Meghan led a class discussion on how to identify potential behaviors, as well as strategies for working with all learning types in the classroom. What stood out in this discussion was how open the dialogue was between Meghan and her students, with many sharing personal stories of their own experiences with students with ADHD.  Not only were her students learning the content, but they were able to articulate how that information would be relevant for them in their future classrooms. In Meghan’s classroom, everyone has a voice and is invested in how they can use that voice to impact their own lives and the lives of others.

Meghan Stubbs with her students.

Meghan Stubbs teaching students at HCTC.

HCTC Preschool Classroom

It doesn’t take long to see what an impact CTE is making in Ellsworth. Instead of learning concepts in the abstract, students at HCTC are doing medical research, teaching children, preparing and serving meals, and so much more. Hancock County Technical Center is an important part of preparing Maine students with the skills needed to turn their passions into careers.

The Maine Department of Education, in collaboration with Career and Technical Education (CTE) schools throughout Maine, is celebrating CTE month this February by highlighting some of the amazing women who have found their path in life through career and technical education. We hope their stories inspire you the way they have inspired us.

Danica Wooster has taught the Auto Collision program at the Mid-Coast School of Technology (MCST) for the last 13 years. The program offers a diverse look into the automotive collision industry, including working with the most up-to-date tools and equipment and learning skills in welding, paint preparation, dent repair, and detailing.

The program she now teaches is the same program that got Wooster started in auto collision when she was in high school.

“I had no idea what I wanted to do. My parents suggested I take the class and the rest is history,” said Wooster. Following high school, she attended WyoTech for Collision/Refinishing, and then started working as a technician in the auto collision industry, eventually earning a business degree and then transitioning to teaching the trade right here in Maine.

“Although I didn’t have a background in education specifically, I feel like I played that role many times in my life – from teaching horseback riding lessons in high school to working side-by-side with entry-level technicians in the shop,” said Wooster. “Both of my parents were also educators, and both were a huge support system for me as I started my career,” she added.

Wooster says there are a lot of things she loves about working in CTE but one of her favorites is introducing her trade to the students. “I love seeing a student’s face when all of a sudden something clicks – it’s truly special.”

Being able to teach something she is passionate about while experimenting and learning alongside the students is another huge perk for Wooster. Explaining that many people don’t understand that auto collision repair is an art in and of itself. “It’s making something new again, but every single job is different and handcrafted,” she said.

During her time working in CTE, Wooster has had many opportunities to grow professionally as well, by earning a master’s degree and continuing to hone her craft by working in the collision repair field during her summers off from teaching.

“I get to make connections with other people in my trade and in education, and I get to work in a building that has so many other talented CTE teachers,” said Wooster. “It’s all an amazing experience, and I think it’s a very unique part of being a CTE teacher.”

One of the things Wooster is the proudest of is being an advocate for CTE, promoting how important it is for many students and industries but also the incredible opportunities it creates for students.

“Attending CTE when I was in high school had a much different, and often negative, connotation,” said Wooster. “We have come a long way from that.”

“Danica has inspired countless students to pursue non-traditional career pathways,” said Bobby Deetjen, Director of the Mid-Coast School of Technology. “Her students continue to break down barriers and succeed in shops all over Maine.”

Wooster shared her advice for students interested in CTE.

“Working my entire career in a non-traditional field has taught me that the only person I need to prove myself to is myself,” she said. “I’ve heard my fair share of ‘no,’ but I think having a little bit of grit is what makes the difference, what made me keep moving forward. I always encourage my students to have a little ‘grit’…to push through when things get tough and to not be afraid to make mistakes. My entire trade is based on mistakes…and that’s what helps us learn and get better at what we do!”

(Pictured: Emily Worcester a senior at United Technology Center [UTC] in Bangor.)

The Hall of Flags was abuzz Wednesday morning as representatives from across the state came to Maine’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month Kick Off at the State House. Students, instructors, and directors from 15  of Maine’s 27 CTE centers came with everything from canapes to holographic 3D fans, proudly sharing legislators and government officials the advanced skills CTE students are learning.

When you think of vocational learning, you might picture what Hancock County Technical Center director Bill Tracy describes as “hard trades” such as welding or mechanics. However, the CTE students of today are starting down a wide array of career paths, from graphic design to criminal justice.

“We’re really trying to give kids a broad breadth of what they can do at a CTE enter,” explained Tracy,  “I don’t want them to think it’s just hard trades. Even though the hard trades are really important, there are so many different things they can do.”

Chris Davis, the assistant director of Farmington’s Foster CTE Center, was excited to share what his students are learning in Foster’s biotechnology program.

“They’re learning how to isolate a virus, DNA splicing, and genetic engineering,” he said. “Students working with biotechnology are looking at the biomedical field or forensics. It really increases their ability to work in a lab.”

Many CTE instructors and directors see their work as a building block for Maine’s economy. Matt Peterman of Sanford Regional Technical Center explained, “Maine CTEs are important because we are trying to build the Maine economy, and we’re trying to develop young employees to replace an aging workforce.”

As an extension of this effort, CTE curriculums support their local economies. For example, Oxford Hills Tech School offers a popular hospitality and tourism program, which they are expanding to include outdoor recreation to prepare students to work in the growing ski and ride industry of Oxford County.

Instructor Jeremy Bourque of Somerset Creative Tech Center hopes to see his students prosper and return to Maine. “Our county has a pretty high poverty rate, so we’re pretty proud of the work we’ve done changing these kids’ lives, helping them go to school, find a really good job, and then come back to Somerset County to help the county grow and change,” he said.

Another positive change happening at CTE schools across the country is an uptake in young women working in trades. Maine is no exception regarding this trend. In fact, every instructor and director at the kick off reported an increase in “non-traditional students.”

“We’re trying to break some stereotypes,” Peterman explained. “Traditional roles don’t exist anymore. Anyone can do the job.”

Instructors have seen this trend most notably in welding programs, which continue to be one of the most popular CTE offerings in the state. Jorja Brown, a junior at the Somerset Career and Technical Center, came to the CTE Kick Off to share her experience as a young woman in welding. “I am the best in my class,” she declared, noting that “it’s really cool to experience a very male dominated trade.”

United Technology Center (UTC) senior Emily Worcester was also present, representing young women in mechanics. Worcester is a part of UTC’s small engines program, and loving every second of it. “My experience has been absolutely amazing,” said Worcester. “It’s a chance to expand my knowledge. I could expand my knowledge into a future career, or I could take this knowledge and do my own personal thing. It’s a good choice to have.”

Having this kind of hands-on, real-world education is precisely what keeps many CTE students in school. Matthew Hamilton, the Student Services Coordinator at Bath Tech, came to CTE after working as a dean of students. As a dean, Hamilton saw many students who struggled in a traditional school setting. Hamilton shared that those same students now excel in their CTE programs. They are “coming to school early, they’re coming to school on a regular basis, and they’re jazzed up about learning.”

Students like those Hamilton described were the most excited to share their CTE experiences at the kick off. “I was going to drop out in December of my junior year,” remembers Brett Bretton, a senior in the Culinary Program at Capitol Area Technical Center. “But my guidance counselor suggested the culinary program for me, and now, instead of dropping out, I’m going to college for this.”

CTEs aren’t only keeping kids in school but giving them an early advantage for their post-graduate lives. “People think vocation or technology centers are for students that are not college bound, whereas we’re the total opposite. We catapult students so that they can go to college and go to college with a head start,” commented Michael Bouthilette of Biddeford Regional Technology.

Kaylie Trembly of Lewiston Regional Technical Center (LRTC) chose to enter the EMT program after speaking to past graduates. “The people I talked to who went through LRTC are doing really well,” said Trembly, “it helped them determine where they wanted to go.”

CTE programs work with post-secondary institutions across the state, like Southern Maine Community College, University of Maine Farmington, and trade schools like the Aveda Institute. However, these partnerships go beyond traditional higher education, partnering directly with local employers to place students in the field. At Region 9 School of Applied Technology, CNA students split their time between Rumford Hospital and local nursing homes. Meanwhile, in Ellsworth, students can intern with Jackson Laboratories.

“We know we’re small, we’re rural, but I’m definitely passionate about this work,” said Brenda Gammon, the director and superintendent of Region 9, “I’ll do anything I can to give students the best opportunities.”

Kaylie (EMT Program) and Ava (CNA Program) from Lewiston Regional Technical Institute (LRTC).

CTE month continues through February, and it is the perfect time to dig into everything CTE has to offer. Check out a list of Maine’s CTE schools with links for you to explore.