Career and Technical Institute representatives are visiting Dutchess County high schools to talk with students about the opportunities offered at CTI before local high school sophomores explore those opportunities by visiting Dutchess BOCES to tour CTI and meet CTI students and teachers.
CTI representatives visited Webutuck Jan. 4 to talk with sophomores and eighth graders. This was the second of three scheduled stops at Dutchess County high schools with the first being Franklin D. Roosevelt High School and the third being Beacon High School.
“It’s an amazing opportunity, an amazing option to open their mind to future possibilities,” said CTI guidance counselor Kristin Litwin of CTI.
CTI was represented at Webutuck by guidance counselors Deanna Pillius and Litwin, Work-Based Learning Coordinator Sharon Myers and science teacher Amy Smith. After a video presentation, they discussed the programs offered, and Myers discussed the internship and job opportunities offered to students through the Work-Based Learning program.
“It just offers more than just the thought of college that they can actually leave here employed,” said Myers. “I think from Covid we found out who’s essential, it’s the trades.”
Three Webutuck and CTI students – Joe Ferrari, Kate Messoline and Tiffany Slater – shared their CTI experience with their Webutuck peers. All three are learning a trade they plan to pursue as a career after high school – Messoline and Slater in cosmetology and Ferrari in electric work.
“It was fun to tell them about my experience,” said Ferrari. “For me at the end of the day, it’s about what you’re going to do to provide for your own future because high school isn’t forever, it’s about what you’re going to do with your life and how you’re going to make an impact.
“I want them to think about their future because it’s important and what you do with your life is important.”
Webutuck school counselors Darlene McLaughlin and Vincent Merendino attended a counselors’ presentation at BOCES in October and learned CTI representatives had visited local schools in the past.
“I would love for this to be a yearly occurrence,” said McLaughlin of CTI representatives visiting Webutuck.
McLaughlin and Merendino will be visiting CTI Feb. 6 with Webutuck sophomores, who will tour CTI and meet with CTI students and teachers.
“I’m hoping that their coming to Webutuck will allow those 10th graders to expand and leave school for a day to see what BOCES is all about,” said Merendino.