Proviso Press Release

HILLSIDE, IL -Knowledge. Skills. Honesty. Service. Responsibility. Scholarship. Citizenship. Leadership.

These were the attributes that 44 Proviso West High School students pledged to uphold as they were inducted as the first ever class of the Proviso West chapter of the National Technical Honor Society on April 4 in a ceremony before a packed Cavanaugh Little Theater at Proviso West.

The National Technical Honor Society is a national organization that seeks to “reward excellence in workforce education” and to promote the development of skills and values that can transfer from the classroom to the workplace. The organization also works to build and maintain partnerships with local businesses and industry, West senior Adan De La Cruz told the gathered parents and dignitaries. To become a member of the National Technical Honor Society, a student needs to maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average in career and technical education classes.

The dignitaries at the induction ceremony, which included lighting candles to represent the attributes, included D209 Board Vice President David Ocampo, Board Secretary Jenny Barbahen, D209 Director of Career and Technical Education and Early College Dr. Alexander Brandon, and Joseph Tamburino, the mayor of Hillside. Mr. Tamburino said that while it is fine for young people to go to college as they pursue their careers, many industrial and technical companies still need workers.

“Every major company in America today, all those railroads, all the manufacturing companies, cannot find enough qualified people to do the jobs that they need to do,” he said. “Your dreams are accessible. You’re going to be able to earn an income that is going to give you the ability to buy a home, to buy cars, to send your children to school, to do the things you need to do.”

April Senase, advanced manufacturing teacher at West, said career and technical education programs are not a traditional pathway, “but it’s a pathway that deserves to be recognized.”

Also in attendance was co-interim Superintendent Alexander Aschoff, who spoke on a few of the society’s attributes such as service, character, and scholarship.

“I want to look at this idea of scholarship, that (which) for me is representing and dedicating commitment to lifelong learning, everything that you’re doing here today,” Mr. Aschoff said. “I thought the most wonderful thing about career and technical education, going beyond that classroom, because that classroom is literally everywhere.”

In addition, Ms. Senase announced that juniors Lauren Greer and Agustin Sanchez had been named as the chapter’s treasurer and secretary, respectively, for the 2024-2025 school year.

The following students were inducted as part of the first class in the Proviso West chapter of the National Technical Honor Society:

Mia Adams

Denise Adams

Antonio Avila

Jazmynn Bardney

Leah Bell

Jadyn Brown

Deshawn Chandler

Andres Chavez

Crystal Corona

Adan De La Cruz

Gisele Dominguez

Serenity Duckins

Damareye Dumas

Abel Espinoza

Jorge Espinoza

James Ewing

Roishia Ewing

Omar Flores-Chagolla

Jaden Godsey

Jesus Gollaz-Gomez

Omar Gomez

Mahiory Gomez

Paloma Gonzalez

Tervous Graves

Lauren Greer

Eliel Gutierrez

Makayla Haynes

Salene Holman

John Homyak

Kristopher Jones

Xzavier Lemon

Juan Lopera Marin

Alexis Magdaleno

Alex Munoz

Diego Roa Martinez

Jaleel Robinson

Alexia Rodela

Agustin Sanchez

Giselle Sanchez

Nancy Sandoval

Jada Stone

Darius Tucker

Adrian Urquieta

Edgar Villarreal

Congratulations to all of the students for their induction in the National Technical Honor Society!