SOUTHWICK – On February 25, the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District announced that Sarah Smith, a senior at Southwick Regional School, had been recognized as the Lower Pioneer Valley Career and Technical Education Center Outstanding Vocational Student of the Year.
An extension of the seven-member high schools served by the Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative, Career Tech of West Springfield allows students to spend half of their school day at Career Tech and learn a specific skill that they could use for a future career.
Currently, Smith goes to two classes at Southwick Regional School in the morning and then attends graphic design classes at Career Tech.
Southwick Regional School Senior, Sarah Smith, was named the 2019 CTEC Outstanding Vocational Student of the Year. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick)
Every year, teachers from each program nominate students for the Outstanding Vocational Student of the Year award. It’s required that the students nominated are pursuing post-secondary training, have secured a job, or are seeking employment in their career area. The programs at Career Tech include automotive, carpentry, cosmetology, culinary arts, graphic design, and among others.
Notified in early February of the award, Smith was surprised to hear that she was selected for the award.
“I know I’ve done a lot over the past 3 or 4 years, but I didn’t think I would have gotten something to commemorate that,” said Smith.
The senior at Southwick Regional School also believes that the award could help her for the near future.
“I think it will be helpful, it’s a great experience in general being a high schooler and being able to go to different places,” said Smith.
When Smith joined Career Tech her freshmen year, like all students attending the school, she started in exploratory studies. At the end of that freshmen year, Smith decided that graphic design was the program that she wanted to join.
While she said she’s always been interested in the arts, she attended a career fair a couple of years ago and her interest in the career field took off from there.
“I started to get into art a lot more often,” said Smith. “I’ve learned a lot through the past three years of being in the shop.”
Throughout her time in the graphic design program, Smith is now a seven-time winner of the Career Tech Graphic and Visual Design program’s Student of the Month. The award goes to a student that goes above and beyond in the graphic design program.
The success in graphic design for Smith doesn’t stop there as she earned first place in Massachusetts and 13th nationally last year for the Business Professionals of America’s Graphic Design Promotion competition. A co-curricular organization, Business Professionals of America increases students participation in professional, civic, service, and social experiences. Some of the activities that Business Professionals of America provides is leadership development, professionalism, community service, career development, public relations, student cooperation, and safety and health.
Besides her success in the graphic design program at Career Tech, Smith has achieved numerous accolades as an academic student at Southwick Regional School. The senior has maintained an A average and is also a member of the National Honor Society. She’s a member of both the high school’s softball and ski teams and also does stagecraft assistance for a number of the school’s performing arts productions.
The graphic design student is glad that she’s involved with so many different clubs and organizations.
“It definitely teaches me a lot of responsibility and growing up,” said Smith. “I’ve been able to help and able to give back to others.”
Prepared to graduate from Southwick Regional School and Career Tech this spring, Smith will be attending Northern Vermont University and majoring in graphic design. Smith’s aspirations are to have a career in graphic design that focuses on logo, branding, advertising, and photography.
