GACTC Newsletter

The week of March 7th, our annual Spring Occupational Advisory Committee (OAC) meetings for our secondary and postsecondary programs were held. Over 275 business members of the community attended the OAC meetings.

The main purpose of an Occupational Advisory Committee is to strengthen the career and technical education program by making recommendations for program improvement and providing technical assistance to assure the most up-to-date curriculum content and resources. The committees consist of skilled employees and employers in the profession, representatives of business and industry, labor groups, professional and technical employees, workforce development board members, parents, students and alumni. The advisory committees are a vital link between the career and technical education programs and the business community.

We want to thank all of our OAC members for taking the time out of their busy schedules to attend the meetings as we work for continuous improvement of our programs.

For more information about our various Occupational Advisory Committees, please Click Here.

On the evening of Wednesday, March 23, 2022, our annual National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) Induction Banquet was held at 5:00 pm in the GACTC Cafetorium. Mr. Dave Knab, a GACTC alum employed by Stuckey Automotive, was our guest speaker for the evening.

Earning NTHS status is a tremendous achievement. Fifty-one juniors and seniors met the stringent criteria required for membership.

To earn NTHS status student show distinction in three areas as well as meet the following criteria:

• Maintain honor roll status, which is a grade of 93% or higher in every marking period last year
• Maintain a 85% GPA at their sending school
• Be recommended by his/her CTC teacher
• Display high character qualities

The colors of NTHS are silver, white and purple.

• silver represents value and worth
• white represents truth and honesty
• purple represents achievement and honor

The Practical Nursing program is hosting a blood drive on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 from 8 am - 2 pm to GACTC staff, PN students and the public. The blood drive will be located in the GACTC cafetorium. Please Click Here to register.

Our part-time Practical Nursing students are in the midst of their IV course. The GACTC maintains a State Board of Nursing approved IV curriculum which allows students the opportunity to earn IV Certification. Thirty-two hours of instruction are built into the Pharmacology I course that students complete in Level 3. Licensed Practical Nurse's play a vital role in initiating, monitoring and maintaining various types of intravenous therapy.

The adult HVAC students successfully completed the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 608 certification in March. HVAC technicians are required, under the Clean Air Act, to hold this certification to ensure they are properly trained to maintain, service, repair, or dispose of appliances that contain refrigerants. The certification exams covers proper refrigerant handling techniques. Congratulations to our adult HVAC students for earning this important industry certification!

Staffing Specialists from different departments of Sheetz toured our facility with an emphasis on our Service Occupations, Retail Marketing & Entrepreneurship, Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Computer Programming and Computer & Networking programs. In developing a partnership with Sheetz, they would be able to provide opportunities for our students in and out of the classroom. These opportunities would include job shadowing, cooperative education, internships, tours of the Sheetz facility for the programs and employment after graduation. We are looking forward to this upcoming partnership with Sheetz.

Teachers from Huntingdon CTC spent their Act 80 day on Monday, March 14th visiting various programs at area career and technology centers. The GACTC hosted teachers in the following programs: Computer & Networking Technology, Electrical Trades, Health Occupations, and HVAC/R. The day provided an excellent opportunity for the program instructors to network and collaborate with one another.

On Tuesday, March 15th, five members of the Johnstown School District visited GACTC. Among them were two CTE instructors and three administrators. The two instructors spent the morning learning about how Tim Keener and Tim Harris are using their textbook integration with Canvas. Members of the remaining team toured our facility and asked many questions about the products we used with our Learning Management System.

Greater Altoona Career & Technology Center (GACTC) students are preparing for careers and are always interested in learning what is happening in their chosen field right here in Central Pennsylvania. Business and community partnerships are one of the key elements and great strengths of Career & Technical Education.

At the GACTC, our programs are developed and maintained with the goals of business and industry in mind. We align curriculum, seek feedback and encourage the consistent inclusion of our business and industry partners in our programs.

COOPERATIVE EDUCATION - A supervised on-the-job work experience with employer, school and student responsibilities for a specific amount of hours per week. This is a paid experience.

Betar Dental - Trinity Vanlue

Blair Endodontics & Microsurgery - Piper Bastian

Cumming Motors - Jordan McCaulley

Curry Supply/Aerotek - Devin Lynch

GACTC - Zachary Kopco

GACTC - Educator's Inn - Matthew Kennedy

GACTC - Educator's Inn - Cheyenne Shoeman

Greenbean Coffee House - Cheyenne Ickes

Klesius & Sheedy - Mike Killinger

Lascoli Masonry Contractors - Bryan Yingling

Martin's Welding - Lane Frederick

Martin's Welding - Dylan Hartman

McCoy's Lawn and Garden - Owen Snowberger

McLanahan Corporation - Joshua Merritts

McLanahan Corporation - Andan Clingerman

Muni-Link - Arrhen Gathagan

Nic's Grab & Go - Allynn Brunner

Omni Bedford Springs Resort - Hawke Claycomb

Perry Wellington Realty - Dennis Hammel

Pfeffer Orthodontics - Chloe Neaffer

Sease Heating & Cooling - Kyle DeStefano

Servello Orthodontics - Kayla Delozier

Skills of Central PA/Shirley's Cookies - Christopher Caldwell

Smith Transport - Collin Wicker

Smith Transport Body Shop - Asher Cornell

Smith Welding & Fabrication - Logan Bartlebaugh

Smithmyer Plumbing & Heating - Landon Smeal

Stuckey Automotive - Ford - Dominic McMasters

Stuckey Automotive - Subaru - Dakota Fitzwater

Stuckey Buick GMC Service Department - Derek Long

Stuckey Collision - Karley Whetstine

Stuckey Commercial Trucking Department - Ethan Cavalet

Thompson Machine - Devon Watson

INTERNSHIP - Experiences that provide opportunities for students to practice skills and learn about the requirements of the workplace. This can be a paid or unpaid experience with a definite start and end date.

GACTC - Leanne Leonard

GACTC - James Raihl

GACTC - Kaylee Payne

GACTC - Skyla Wineland

The teachers nominated candidates for the second marking period for the WISE program. The categories for nominations are: good work ethic, most improved, community service and excellence.

Our featured students for the second marking period are:

Cheyenne Shoeman is a Altoona High School senior in the Culinary Arts program at the GACTC. Cheyenne has been in the program for four year. This is her story of her SkillsUSA journey.

In 9th grade, I started the Culinary Arts Program at the GACTC not knowing that halfway through the year I would find an amazing opportunity called SkillsUSA. SkillsUSA was described to me as a competition for different sub categories in each program which compete against other schools. When I first heard that it was a competition, my anxiety was really high and I never wanted to join. After some time I decided to join the SkillsUSA organization. Three years later, it is one of the best choices I have ever made.

Before every competition you are given a scope of what you need to practice before your competition. My Chefs helped me prepare for my first competition for Restaurant Service in 9th grade. When the time came to compete, all I remembered was repeating the ever so famous quote from my amazing SkillsUSA advisor, Mrs. Amigh, say, “Get on that bus”. This is probably the most motivational thing I kept in my head all morning before my first competition. At my first competition, I placed third. I was bummed, but that gave me the motivation to keep striving for success.

As I entered 10th grade I knew I wanted to give the competition another try. Once again I competed in Restaurant Service and this time I placed first at districts and I would move on to states. Unfortunately COVID-19 struck in March and canceled all state competitions that year.

In 11th grade, nobody was sure that SkillsUSA competition was even going to happen. A great moment came in April when we were told that the competition was going to happen but we were going to compete virtually for states. I ended up placing second in states, which was amazing. That competition was probably the most stressful competition I have ever experienced. It was tiring wearing a mask, it was hard to speak, hard to hear, and hard to work around a tripod while at home. It was really frustrating because it wasn’t my “normal” competition experience. I was upset and wanted to quit, but I never gave up. I am so forever grateful that I didn’t.

As a senior, it is my last year to compete for SkillUSA through the GACTC. We recently had our district competition in February. I competed once again in Restaurant Service and placed first. We will be competing in person at states in Hershey, PA in April. I could not be prouder of myself.

I want to THANK my amazing chefs for being my top motivators and supporters through everything, without them I would have been lost my 9th grade year. I really do appreciate everything they have done for me. I would like to tell all the GACTC students, if you ever have the opportunity to join SkillsUSA, do it without looking back. I know many students will get anxious and worried, but the best thing about the GACTC is that we all have amazing instructors who lead us to be successful. You also have amazing SkillsUSA advisors who will do anything and everything to see you succeed in your competitions.

As our SkillsUSA Advisor, Mrs. Amigh always says, “Get on that bus”! It will be a life changing choice for you that you will never regret!

Best of Luck to Cheyenne and all our SkillsUSA competitors competing on Monday, April 4, 2022 in Hershey, PA.

"Cheyenne, along with so many others, lost their opportunity to go for the gold in April of 2020. It was heart-breaking; however, in the midst of barriers, champions emerged. That's how I will always see Cheyenne Shoeman. It has been a thrill to witness her perseverance to manifest her goal into reality. I cannot wait to see the final outcome of her four year journey! She will always be a SkillsUSA Champion in my heart!" - Mrs. Dodie Amigh

#gactcproud #SkillsUSA

Chuck Miller is the Outdoor Power Equipment Technology Teacher here at the GACTC. He graduated from Bellwood-Antis High School and came to the GACTC in the Small Engine Repair Program.

Chuck attended Penn State to receive his Associates Degree in Computer Programming and a Bachelor's Degree in Education. He worked a summer during college at the Small Engine Shop. Chuck worked at Chainsaw headquarters for seven years. He was also a computer programmer at North American Communications following college. He started his teaching career at the GACTC in August of 1989.

He has been repairing equipment since 1978. He is married and has two children. His favorite activities include, hunting, fishing, travel and many more.

Chuck, thank you for your dedication to the GACTC.

Bill is a graduate of Central High school in 1977. He attended the Greater Altoona CTC in the Masonry program.

After graduating high school he built Sheetz convenience stores, was self employed at Doutt & Snyder Construction, and worked for other small contractors. He has been working in the Masonry field for 45 years and has been the Masonry teacher at the GACTC for 25 years.

He lives with his partner, Mary, and has two dogs, Jack and Kramer. He enjoys working around the house, fishing, and shooting sporting clays.

Thank you Bill for 25 great years!