Friends of Vocational Technical & Agricultural Education,
MAVA hosted six students from across the state last week during their general membership meeting. The students have been selected as U.S. CTE Presidential Scholar nominees and will represent the Commonwealth. The students were selected by Commissioner Jeffrey Riley.
Nine years ago, the U.S. Presidential Scholars program was expanded to include CTE students specifically. Presidential Scholars in CTE are selected for their “outstanding scholarship and demonstrated ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields.” Nominees are selected from each state in the country based on their academic rigor, technical competence, employability skills, and ingenuity and creativity.
MAVA is most proud of these outstanding students and wish each of them continued success in the next round of competition.
Best wishes!
David
Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley Recognizes Presidential Scholar Nominees at MAVA Membership Meeting
March 20, 2023 Robert Mills Client News, School News
From left, MAVA President Andrew Linkenhoker, Superintendent of Smith Vocational & Agricultural High School, and Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeffrey Riley stand with U.S. Presidential Scholar nominees Alijandro Ian Mendoza, of Worcester Technical High School; Andre Arzeno, of Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School; Avery Hohengasser, of Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School; Edgar Martinez, of Greater Lawrence Technical School; Henry Knox, of Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical High School; and Amani Benouradia, of Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School.
Executive Director Steven C. Sharek is pleased to announce that the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators (MAVA) was joined by Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeffrey Riley as six vocational students were recognized for being selected as U.S. Presidential Scholar nominees.
Students were recognized by Riley and MAVA during MAVA’s annual general membership meeting, held Thursday, March 16 in Marlborough.
In opening remarks, Riley updated attendees on recent developments at DESE, and thanked educators for recent advancements in social and emotional learning initiatives.
““We cannot even get to instruction if a kid does not have their housing straightened out, if they don’t have their meals straightened out, or their mental health,” Riley said. “No kid is doing to be interested in the slope of a line or about what to fix on an automobile unless they have their most basic needs met. I think we’ve been dealing with that, and you guys have been doing a really good job of supporting kids’ social emotional health.”
The U.S. Presidential Scholar Award is given to distinguished high school students across the country. The award is one of the highest honors given to high school students, as only about 3,000 students across the country are nominated per year. As part of the process, six students from local technical high schools were nominated this year.
The six Presidential Scholar nominees recognized at the event were:
Amani Benouradia
Benouradia is a senior in the Environmental Science Program at Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School, who is working as a lab chemist at the Haverhill Water Treatment Center. She aspires to work in the field of government policy.
An immigrant from Morocco who has not let the challenges she has faced stop her, Benouradia volunteers for numerous organizations, mentors other students, and is a student representative on the Essex Tech School Committee. She is also an active leader of Essex Tech’s U-Act student diversity group, and serves on U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton’s Youth Advisory Council.
“Amani is a remarkable individual who excels in everything she does while being a kind and caring person. She has a competitive spirit and she has achieved great success during her time in high school,” said Essex Tech Superintendent Heidi Riccio. “Amani’s contagious positivity and eagerness to learn new skills will serve her well. Amani is destined to achieve great things.”
Presidential Scholar nominee Amani Benouradia, of Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School, stands with Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeffrey Riley.
Edgar Martinez
Presidential Scholar nominee Edgar Martinez, of Greater Lawrence Technical School, stands with Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeffrey Riley
Martinez is a senior in the Dental Assistant Program at Greater Lawrence Technical High School, who is currently working at Smile Dental Design via the school’s cooperative education program. He aspires to attend dental school following high school.
Martinez is top in his class of 405 students with a 4.43 GPA, has taken numerous honors-level courses. He is on course to graduate with nine undergraduate college credits via the concurrent enrollment program between GLTS and Middlesex Community College. He is a member of the National Honor Society, President of the Senior Class, a Big Future ambassador, a Rising Future mentor, an MIAA ambassador, a member of Upward Bound and the Gender Sexuality Alliance, and a recipient of the St. Michael’s College Book Award. He is also the team captain of the school’s Cheerleading team. In addition to being a Presidential Scholar nominee, Martinez is the recipient of the MAVA Outstanding Vocational Student Award, and the MAVA Non-Traditional Student Award.
“Edgar is an outstanding student and member of our school community, demonstrating a commitment to excellence in academics, in his CTE area, and outside of the classroom,” said GLTS’s Director of Guidance and Admissions Brenda Richardson.
Avery Hohengasser
Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeffrey Riley stands with Presidential Scholar nominee Avery Hohengasser, of Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School.
Hohengasser is a senior in the Engineering Technology Program at Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School, who was just accepted to a coop job working for Double E Engineering.
A member of two state gold medal-winning Engineering Technology SkillsUSA teams, Hohengasser is captain of Southeastern’s Cross Country team and excels in academics while taking part in numerous extra-curricular activities. She aspires to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy after high school, and to serve five years with the U.S. Air Force. Afterward, she hopes to obtain a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering, and a doctoral degree in rocket science.
“Avery is fearless. She is one of the top three students I’ve ever encountered in my teaching career. She is a self-motivated, well-rounded student, and hard working,” said Engineering Instructor Angela Basse. “She has an awesome character and extraordinary technology and problem solving capabilities that she’s nurtured over the years.”
Henry Knox
From left, Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical High School Superintendent Roger Forget stands with Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeffrey Riley and Presidential Scholar nominee Henry Knox.
Knox is a senior in the Engineering Technology Program at Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School who is planning to study Aerospace Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology after high school.
Knox works at a coop job in the Seismograph Laboratory at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, where his supervisor has praised him for assisting with the construction and maintenance of scientific instruments. He is an officer in the National Honor Society, the School Council, and the Interact Club, and was named the Outstanding Vocational Student at Upper Cape Cod Tech.
“It is clear that Henry’s attitude, his ambition, and his performance as both a student and member of the community are exemplary,” said Upper Cape Cod Superintendent Roger Forget. “Henry is intelligent, perceptive, dedicated, and self-motivated.”
Alijandro Ian Mendoza
From left, Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeffrey Riley stands with Presidential Scholar nominee Alijandro Ian Mendoza, of Worcester Technical High School, and Worcester Tech Principal Drew Weymouth.
Mendoza is a senior in the Biotechnology Program at Worcester Technical High School, who has worked in coop jobs for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and UMass Medical School over his four year school career.
Mendoza is a QuestBridge National College Match scholarship winner who will be studying Astrophysics at Columbia University after high school. He is captain of the school’s Volleyball team, and started the SAT Prep Club. Mendoza won a national gold medal from SkillsUSA during his sophomore year for a project based around COVID-19 and vaccines, and as part of that project he started a vaccine awareness group in Massachusetts. Mendoza is the recipient of the Hispanics Achieving and Celebrating Excellence Award, the Worcester County Superintendents Award, the SkillsUSA Career Pathways state gold medal, the SkillsUSA Medical Math state bronze medal, the AP Scholar Award, the National Hispanic and Indigenous Recognition, the QuestBridge Prep Scholar Award, the Volleyball Leadership Sportsmanship Award, and was the winner of an amateur chess tournament.
“Alijandro is currently collaborating with the Robotics and Engineering Department to develop a prototype for an inexpensive water testing and filtration system, and that is only touching the surface,” said Worcester Tech Principal Drew Weymouth.
Andre Arzeno
Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeffrey Riley stands with Presidential Scholar nominee Andre Arzeno, of Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School.
Arzeno is a senior in the Legal and Protective Services Program at Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School.
He is a member of the National Honor Society, SkillsUSA, and just recently helped lead the effort during Southeastern Smiles Week, a week aimed at creating good vibes to improve students’ social and emotional health. Arzeno also helped lead a successful effort to get Southeastern to add additional honors and AP classes to its course offerings, and conducted a survey of students and aggregated the data as part of his efforts.
“A resilient, motivated and exemplary student, there is no student more deserving of this award,” said Legal and Protective Services Instructor Joshua Brewster. “When I think of an outstanding student inside the classroom and throughout the community, Andre is exactly that.”
Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeffrey Riley speaks to MAVA’s Spring general membership meeting.
MAVA President Andrew Linkenhoker, Superintendent of Smith Vocational & Agricultural High School, speaks to MAVA’s Spring general membership meeting.
David J. Ferreira
MAVA Communications Coordinator
DavidFerreira
