Prepping kids for high-growth jobs
Seung Lee, an animation teacher at the HS of Art and Design in Manhattan, said he was "a longtime fan, first-time winner" of the UFT's annual Career and Technical Education Awards.
Lee was among more than 70 outstanding CTE educators honored at this year's ceremony on Feb. 7 at UFT headquarters in Manhattan.
"They were honored not just by us, the UFT, which represents them," said UFT Vice President for CTE High Schools Sterling Roberson, who organized the event. "They were also recognized by industry professionals — national organizations and industry partners recognizing them for their incredible work in preparing students for success in high-growth industries."
CTE teachers received awards from industry partners C-Tech Business and Education, the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, Virtual Enterprises International, the National Academy Foundation, the Municipal Credit Union, the Transportation Diversity Council, the CTE Technical Assistance Center of New York, WebGuyz and CompTIA. The UFT presented Special Recognition Awards to Melanie Mortimer, the president of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, and Andrea Lingstuyl, a cosmetology teacher at Queens Technical HS.
UFT President Michael Mulgrew pointed out that the 85.5% graduation rate for schools with CTE programs is what's "bringing up" the city's record-high graduation rate of 77.3%. "This is the community that is driving our school system to the best place it's ever been," he said.
Nicole Stevens-Santiago, a teacher at the Brooklyn Hub of Pathways to Graduation and a CTE Educator Award recipient, is co-creator with Ariff Hajee of a bicycle repair program that helps students get high school equivalency diplomas. They learn to take apart and fix bicycles, which they keep. The program was among the new and thriving CTE programs honored.
Stevens-Santiago said winning "feels great because it gives the program and students exposure." The program gives students experience with "problem-solving, getting out of their comfort zones and learning to be experts in a skill," she said. Through the UFT, she said, students also have the opportunity to receive certification from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
"We're giving them chances to be successful," Stevens-Santiago said. When her students leave Pathways to Graduation, she wants them to be able to take care of themselves and to be "capable individuals who can complete a task and be productive members of society."
Lee earned his BFA in animation at the Studio of Visual Arts in New York City and later went on to become an art teacher. He got tenure, was excessed and became a CTE teacher at the HS of Art and Design, all in 2012. "I didn't even know what CTE was until six years into teaching," he said. "I've been here for the second half of my career."
Lee hopes to "empower students with skills to get entry level jobs in animation," but he's fine even if none of them do. "If they could go into the industry right after high school, that's great. If they go to college, that's great. If they go to a trade school, that's great," he says. "As long as they go where they can start writing their next chapter, I'm happy."
CTE Awards Recognition Ceremony 2020
More than 70 outstanding CTE educators were celebrated by their union, their colleagues and special industry partners at the 2020 CTE Awards Recognition Ceremony on Feb. 7 at UFT headquarters in Manhattan.
CTE Award winners
Special Industry Awards
Stanley Schair CTE Teacher for Excellence and Innovation Award
- John Mulvey, Port Richmond HS, Staten Island
C-Tech Business and Education Partnership Award
- Damiano Mastrandrea, Brooklyn STEAM Center
Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association Awards
- Angel Jaquez, School of Cooperative Education, Manhattan
- Renato Rosales, A-Tech HS, Brooklyn
- Miguel Sierra, Thomas A. Edison CTE HS, Queens
Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Awards
- Kimberly Cahill, Williamsburg HS for Architecture and Design, Brooklyn
- Diane Horowitz, Edward R. Murrow HS, Brooklyn
- Timothy Sutherlin, Urban Assembly New York Harbor School, Manhattan
Virtual Enterprises International Awards
- Karen McMahon, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis HS, Manhattan
- Tom O’Neill, Fort Hamilton HS, Brooklyn
- Christopher Power, Francis Lewis HS, Queens
National Academy Foundation Awards
- Donna Marie Herelle, HS for Enterprise, Business and Technology, Brooklyn
- Aristides Lourdas, HS of Economics and Finance, Manhattan
- Steven Saliski, Tottenville HS, Staten Island
Municipal Credit Union Teacher of the Year Awards
- Dr. Bruce Levinson, HS for Health Professions and Human Services, Manhattan
- Jo-Ann Villa, HS for Law and Public Service, Manhattan
Transportation Diversity Council Awards
- Pedro Gonzalez, Bronx Design and Construction Academy
- Denise Montes, Bronx Design and Construction Academy
- Nga Warren, Transit Tech HS, Brooklyn
CTE Technical Assistance Center of New York Awards
- Joshua Levine, New Utrecht HS, Brooklyn
- Hiro Shinohara, HS of Economics and Finance, Manhattan
- Adrian Sookchan, Urban Assembly Gateway School for Technology, Manhattan
WebGuyz Industry Awards
- Javon Jacobs, Accion Academy, Bronx
- Karen Matthews, Kappa III, Bronx
- Aimee Mullins, IS 217, Bronx
CompTIA Awards
- Alexander Bell, Thomas A. Edison CTE HS
- Daniella Vaduva, Academy of Innovative Technology
UFT Special Recognition Awards
- Andrea Lingstuyl, Queens Technical HS
- Melanie Mortimer, president, SIFMA Foundation
CTE Educator Awards
Staten Island
- Scott Greenfield, Tottenville HS
- Everton Henriques, Staten Island Technical HS
- James Miller, Susan Wagner HS
- Jeffrey Pedersen, Ralph R. McKee CTE HS
Bronx
- Gina De La Rocha Goico, Crotona International HS
- Alan Richter, School for Tourism and Hospitality
- Scott Schaeffer, IN-TECH Academy
Manhattan
- Thomas Barger, Art and Design HS
- Ann Marie Constantinou, University Neighborhood HS
- Tyshawn Davis, Maxine Greene HS for Imaginative Inquiry
- Lisa Diclerico, Stephen T. Mather Building Arts & Craftsmanship HS
- Tanola Dunkley, Union Square Academy for Health Sciences
- Cherryann Ferguson, School of Cooperative Technical Education
- Scott Fowler, Chelsea Career and Technical Education HS
- Bridget Harvey, HS for Health Careers and Sciences
- Seung Lee, Art and Design HS
- Ben Russell, HS of Fashion Industries
- Jonathan Yung, Food and Finance HS
Queens
- John Benetos, HS for Construction Trades, Engineering and Architecture
- James Caracciolo, Academy of Finance and Enterprise
- Alyssa Cresswell, John Bowne HS
- Sandra Cruz, Thomas A. Edison CTE HS
- Ariff Hajee, Pathways to Graduation
- Alesha Hardwick-Whyte, Benjamin Franklin HS for Finance & Information Technology
- Rezaul Khan, Francis Lewis HS
- Ivana Nuñez, Queens Technical HS
- Laura Parker, Long Island City HS
- Leyann Vanderharten, Pathways to Graduation
- Michael Vander Putten, Information Technology HS
- Ricky Sanchez, Aviation Career and Technical Education HS
- Nicole Stevens-Santiago, Pathways to Graduation
Brooklyn
- Liza Bishop-Ifill, Clara Barton HS
- Hortense Blakey, Brooklyn Studio Secondary School
- Soraya Brooks, A-Tech HS
- Elizabeth Bouiss, Midwood HS
- Wandy Chang, Brooklyn Technical HS
- Stephen Hudson, Boys and Girls HS
- Stephen Lamendola, George Westinghouse CTE HS
- Robert Martinez, Transit Tech CTE HS
- Meena Miller, Urban Assembly Unison School
- Pia Moos, Williamsburg HS for Architecture and Design
- Jasmin Robinson, Brooklyn Academy of Global Finance
- William Saunders, Pathways in Technology Early College HS
- Shaun Seneviratne, STEAM Center at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
- Michael Solo, John Dewey HS
- Jay Wiprovnick, Williamsburg HS for Architecture and Design
New CTE Programs & Initiatives Being Honored
- Boys and Girls HS, Brooklyn — Electrical Installation and Practice
- Clara Barton HS, Brooklyn — Nurse Assistant Program
- Ralph R. Mckee CTE HS, Staten Island — Software Engineering Program
- Midwood HS, Brooklyn — Media Production
- Chelsea CTE HS, Manhattan — Graphic Design
- STEAM Center at the Brooklyn Navy Yard — Brooklyn Steam Center Post-Secondary Plan
- Urban Assembly Unison School, Brooklyn — Hydroponic Farm
- Pathways to Graduation — Bicycle Repair Program