O/N BOCES hears from recent CTE grads on their success

Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

Provided photo: Building Trades teacher Matt Anastasi, left, welcomed back recent grads Alayna Trautman and Tyler Currie to talk with students at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center.

MEDINA – The teachers at the career and technical education center at Orleans/Niagara BOCES love hearing from former students about where their education took them in their lives after graduation.

Recently Alayna Trautman, a graduate from Bill Leggett’s Electricity/Electronics program, and Tyler Currie, a graduate from Matt Anastasi’s Building Trades program, came in to talk to students at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center.

Both the graduates wanted to pay it forward and talk with current students how Orleans/Niagara BOCES set them on their path towards a career and attending Alfred State College of Technology.  Both students shared how their career and technical education classes made them candidates for several scholarships that are helping put them through college with little or no debt in the Construction Management Program.

Trautman, a Royalton-Hartland graduate, has such drive, focus and passion for the construction field, she is graduating a year ahead of time and has already completed paid internships at a couple of large construction firms specializing in HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) and general construction.  She already has several job offers from companies when she graduates in May.

Currie, a graduate from Lockport, is currently doing his internship with Danforth, one of the largest mechanical contractors in the Northeast that focuses on Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration and Plumbing Systems. The company is allowing him to work as an assistant project manager on some very large projects already. He told the students that taking the Building Trades program at BOCES gave him a strong learning trajectory and how happy he is with his career choice.

Mr. Anastasi says he and his seniors were very thankful for the time Alayna and Tyler spent with them.

“They both reflected on their pathways, gave incredible guidance, offered mentoring, and were very excited to share their success stories for my students to hopefully choose to emulate,” Anastasi said. “Seeing how these former students have become so focused, career driven, and passionate to want to guide current students really makes teaching rewarding.”