CTC Career Talk

The CTC 2025-2026 Scholarship Online Application is NOW available!

Scholarships are open to all CTC Seniors who have previously completed their CTC program

OR are currently attending CTC.

Multiple Scholarships are available!

Final Deadline to Apply: Thursday, February 12th at 2:00 p.m.

So don't delay, fill out the online application today!

Click here for the Scholarship application:

https://pubforms.fcps.org/view.php?id=147724

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Home - Career & Technology Center

On December 5th, students across 13 programs competed in 23 career-related SkillsUSA Local competitions that challenged students to put into action technical skills learned in their program. Students were celebrated with an awards ceremony in the Athletics Center at Frederick Community College where the top 5 finishers in each competition were revealed. In most instances, top 3 finishers in each contest are eligible to move on to the Regional contest and possibly beyond where they compete with other technical students from around the state. Please congratulate all winners on this tremendous accomplishment!

📅As we head into the end of 2025 and start to wrap up 1st semester it is a good time to reflect on the past year and set goals for the new year!

Below is a step-by-step guide to creating your goal setting action plan adapted from the Oxford Scholastica Academy.

• Identify your goals 🎯

• The first step is to decide on your long-term goals, and the more specific the better! For example, pursuing a career in law is a great long-term goal. Pursuing a career in environmental law is an even better long-term goal! The more specific your long-term goals are, the easier it’ll be to set your short-term goals.

Keep in mind that none of this is set in stone! The benefit of having both long- and short-term goals is that it’s a lot easier to adapt smaller goals to coincide with your wider objectives.

• Break them down

• Once you’ve set some long-term goals, you can break each one down into smaller tasks.

• So, if your goal is to achieve a grade A on your Chemistry exam, your smaller goals might look like:

• Complete one study guide a week

• Rewrite your notes for the unit onto one sheet of paper

• Practice equation flashcards with a friend every day during lunchtime

These goals are much more manageable on a day-to-day basis but still keep the longer-term goal in mind.

• Set measurable milestones 📏

• Your short-term goals are like a series of checkpoints on your way towards your long-term goals. Setting these checkpoints at regular intervals helps your long-term goals feel more attainable, keeping you motivated and inspired.

• With a clear outline of steps to take, you’ll always be prepared for the next stage of your journey.

• Assign deadlines ⏰

• Deadlines should be challenging but attainable. Your long-term goals can have broader deadlines, by age or by year. For example, you might want to earn a degree by the time you’re 21.

• Your short-term goals can be laid out by day, week or month. Having this range of deadlines helps to maintain your focus, and develops your time-management skills in the process.

• Prioritize tasks 📋

• Just as important as assigning deadlines is assigning each task a priority level

• If one of your goals is to improve your grades then studying for an exam would likely take priority over reading a book on a topic of interest each month.

• Reading a book is of course important and enriching, but studying for the exam is more time sensitive and so would be the priority.

• Gather resources and support

• Achieving your goals is difficult without the correct resources. Thankfully, the internet is packed full of useful articles, textbooks and films relevant to every subject.

• Talking to your parents/guardians about your goals is helpful. They have a lot of knowledge and life experiences to share with you.

• Connect with your school counselor for guidance on where to find information about your goals.

• Utilize your instructors - many have been in the career you may be interested in and so can provide good advice and direction.

• Work experience is another excellent way to learn more about both a career field and yourself. It can support your personal development goals like increasing self-confidence, communication skills and critical thinking. As well as provide important networking opportunities.

• Develop strategies 🤔

• Each task will be challenging in its own way, and thinking about how to tackle them is an important step. In our increasingly technological world, there are more distractions than ever, meaning that focusing on your goals can sometimes take a lot of willpower and determination.

• Consider the possible challenges that might arise for each goal, and how you can successfully manage them. For example, if you’re prone to checking your phone 📱 while studying – and suddenly you’re scrolling TikTok for hours! – then you might want to consider strategies that help you manage that pitfall. Similarly, if you’re often tired after school, you might want to do your hour of studying in the morning, etc.

• The internet has a wealth of resources on how to be a successful student and how to achieve your goals, so be sure to take advantage of it!

• Track your progress 📒

• Tracking the progress you make towards your goals can be extremely rewarding.

• Whether you track your progress through a digital calendar, a journal, or a goal-setting app, having a comprehensive log of all your achievements will come in handy.

• Stay flexible 🧘

• High school is a time of growth and development, and your goals are likely to change a little – or a lot! Although the more specific you can be with your long-term goals the better, there’s always room for flexibility if you decide to change direction.

• The short-term goals you’ve already achieved will always be valuable. Personal development skills like communication, time-management and critical thinking can be adapted to any career and are essential in setting you apart from other candidates.

• Celebrate achievements 🎉

• Achieving your goals, big and small, is a very worthy cause for celebration! Whether it’s a film with your friends or your favorite snack, little celebrations for reaching milestones can help you to stay motivated and committed.

• Seek accountability

• Setting goals and sticking to them involves holding yourself accountable, but sometimes it’s good to have other people on board too!

• Sharing your goals with someone you trust means you’ll have support every step of the way. They can root for you and encourage you to achieve your full potential, even when you’re not sure you can. Friends, family, teachers and mentors are great accountability partners.

• Stay positive and persistent 😀

• The final step is to stay positive! A positive mindset and a little extra determination can help you to overcome any obstacles and achieve your goals!

Source: https://www.oxfordscholastica.com/blog/university-preparation-articles/goal-setting-for-students-a-step-by-step-guide/

Second-year students from the Digital Design & Printing Methods program recently visited Graphcom in Gettysburg for an engaging and informative industry tour. Students had the opportunity to hear directly from industry professionals about career pathways, workplace expectations, and the evolving world of commercial printing and design.

During the visit, students toured both of Graphcom’s facilities and saw firsthand the impressive scope of what the company prints and produces. From large-scale projects to detailed finishing processes, including projects such as printing on cloth and wrapping vehicles. The experience gave students a deeper appreciation for the industry and a clear connection between their classroom learning and real-world production.

Click HERE to order your copy today!

What a great way to remember your year at CTC!

🎉Congratulations to the CAD Engineering students on our International Submarine Racing (ISR) Team. These students were one of only three high school teams in the country to compete against college engineering teams at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Carderock this summer. Out of 19 teams from across the US and around the world, our students placed 7th in the world. This was the team’s best-ever international finish in their 8-year participation in this event.

If you would like to see more of their amazing adventure, look no further than Maryland Public Television. PBS followed the team throughout the school year:

• as they redesigned and built their human-powered submarine in the CAD Lab,
• during in-pool scuba 🤿 certification sessions at Middletown High School,
• through in-pool functional testing, piloting, and buoyancy configuration of the submarine at Walkersville High School, and
• throughout the challenges, misadventures, and achievements during the race week on the Naval Base in Carderock.

Our CAD Engineering students are featured in the Season 37 Premiere of MPT’s “Outdoors Maryland” program, Episode 3701. Originally broadcast on November 11th, 2025, it is now streaming on MPT and YouTube.

Six students represented CTC in a regional Anatomage Tournament at Hagerstown Community College on Saturday, December 6th. An Anatomage table is an interactive, 3D dissection table where students can view real human cadaver data. The tournament combines gaming and learning and tests students on their anatomy knowledge.

Team Cadaver Commanders (Andrew Cole - Biomed (Marcum), Autumn Manahan - AoHP (Maher), and Anila Martin - AoHP (Maher)) made it to the top 8 round of competition.

Team Neuro Ninjas (Savannah Cregger - AoHP (Maher), Brianna Housam - AoHP (Maher), and Eugenia Quartey - AoHP (Maher)) placed 1st and 2nd in two different Kahoot challenges and were awarded gift cards.

The Frederick County Career and Technology Center (CTC) is a Career and Technical Education (CTE) school. Our programs and classes combine academic knowledge with technical skills to prepare students for in-demand and high-skilled jobs. CTC provides students with opportunities to earn industry-recognized certifications and licenses, acquire college credit, and gain valuable work experience. CTC is one of many treasures in Frederick County. It is not only a place of great education and opportunities but also a place of camaraderie and nostalgia.

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