Two of West-MEC’s finest awarded for their outstanding CTE service

West-MEC Governing Board members recognized two dedicated individuals at the West-MEC June governing board meeting.

Mrs. Michele Bush

Dr. John Mulcahy

Bush and Mulcahy recently received distinctive honors from the Arizona Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTEaz). These educators have dedicated their careers to the advancement of Career and Technical Education (CTE). They continue to lay foundation and pave roads to progress in CTE through their current roles at West-MEC.

ACTEaz awarded Michele Bush, West-MEC director of grants, integration and program design, with the Bernard Stewart Distinguished Service Award. Her commitment to Career and Technical Education follows in the footsteps of the late Bernard Stewart, recognized nation-wide as a champion of CTE.

Mulcahy earned the ACTEaz Executive Citation award. ACTEaz presents this award periodically to exceptional individuals dedicated to Career and Technical Education.

From left to right: Joe Holcombe, Frank Straka, John Mulcahy, Jack Lunsford, Michele Bush, Dwight Amery, James Kaltenbach, John Atkins

West-MEC governing board acknowledged the ACTEaz award winners with an announcement at the meeting. Both winners will be honored at the annual ACTEaz summer conference in Tucson next month.



The proof is in the pudding! West-MEC students reign supreme in AZ CTSOs

West-MEC member districts rule Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) in Arizona.

This list denotes the number of FIRST place winners from West-MEC member district high schools. Students competed in leadership events at DECA, FBLA, FFA, FEA, FCCLA, HOSA and SkillsUSA state conferences.

Schools with 1st Place Winners

Agua Fria Union High School District

 1st Place
Agua Fria 3
Millennium 7
Buckeye Union High School District
Buckeye 5
Estrella 1
Sandra Day O’connor 2
Dysart Unified School District
Valley Vista
Willow Canyon 2
Glendale Union High School District
Apollo 7
Glendale
Greenway 8
Moon Valley 1
Thunderbird 10
Paradise Valley Unified School District
Paradise Valley HS 2
Pinnacle 2
Peoria Unified School District
Cactus 3
Centennial 5
Ironwood 7
Liberty 9
Peoria 11
Raymond S. Kellis 2
Sunrise 12
West-MEC
West-MEC Cosmetology 1

And for a look at the West-MEC winners by CTSO, check out the following:

CTSO Winners 1st Place
DECA 70 13
FBLA 56 14
FCCLA 197 25
FEA 47 12
FFA 49 7
HOSA 82 17
SkillsUSA 42 12
Totals 543 100

Cortez High School Graduate Fuses Hard Work and Heart

Cortez High School recent graduate, James Bennett, is the West-MEC CTE Student of the Month.
Bennett, 18, is a welding enthusiast. He spent the past two years firing up the welding torch melting and fusing metal into artwork. Using the techniques he learned in his Applied Technology class, Bennett worked on a special welding project in his spare time. The final product – a five-foot-tall statue of the Cortez Colt, the school’s mascot.
“It was a major project to handle especially with all my school work and leadership responsibilities,” Bennett said. “But I knew I wanted to create something like this when I was a sophomore in high school.”
During a presentation on the last day of class, James presented the completed statue to Cortez principal, Reid Chitwood, as a senior gift to school administration.
Bennett’s contribution and overall work ethic prompted his Applied Technology instructor, Nick Wotsl to nominate him for the West-MEC CTE Student of the Month award. He is the model CTE student, Wotsl said.
“James takes his education very seriously,” Wotsl said. “He was an active member of the welding and automotive CTE team. He is enthusiastic about a future in the welding industry.”
In addition to his daily involvement in CTE at Cortez, Bennett was an active leader, designer, and fabricator of the first Cortez trebuchet catapult team. The team competed in the Sims Metal Manufacturing Trebuchet Challenge in early May. They placed first, receiving a $1500-dollar prize.
Bennett will continue his technical training after high school. He received a full-ride scholarship to the Arizona Automotive Institute for tuition, tools and expenses.

Cutting Edge Style Academy Class of 2010

After two years and 1600 hours of instruction, students from the Cutting Edge Style Academy graduated the West-MEC Cosmetology program. They are now eligible to test for an Arizona Board of Cosmetology license to practice cosmetology.

Congratulations to the Class of 2010.

Below are the highlights from the commencement ceremony on Friday, May 15, 2010. Become a fan of the West-MEC Facebook fanpage to see more from the event: www.facebook.com/westmec

Back from Louisville as Winners

Congratulations to the students from West-MEC member districts who placed in the DECA International Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

And the winners are…

Barry Goldwater High School -  Michael Bayne Hotel & Lodging Management Event Finalist

Boulder Creek High School – Nick Dietz Business Services Top 20 Role-play

Boulder Creek High School- Claryn Tarleton Marketing Management Top 20 Role-play

Boulder Creek High School- Brian Singer Food Marketing Top 10 overall

Boulder Creek High School- Tyler Kopas Retail Management 1st place overall

Pinnacle High School – Eric Brady Sports & Entertainment Individual Top 20 Test

Raymond S. Kellis High School - Navi Dhanu  Buying and Merchandising Team Top 20 Role-play

Raymond S. Kellis High School  - Linda Turcu  Buying and Merchandising Team Top Top 20 Role-play

Sunrise Mountain High School - Chelsey Stacey Full Service Restaurant Management Top 20 Role-play

Thunderbird High School - Steven Derispino Principles of Business Management Top 20

« Previous Page — Next Page »