As I pulled into my customary parking space at Franklin County Technical School early one morning recently, I was greeted by the familiar sight of maintenance staffer (and FCTS alum) Justin Bittner hard at work. Justin was putting gas in a mini-bus, making sure everything was in order for another busy day of runs to job sites in the community, field trips and school sporting events
I noted nearby a new addition to our fleet of vehicles: an impressively painted trailer with the slogan “We Build Futures,” and a list of the 12 technical programs offered at the school. After checking to be sure that the program that I teach in — health technology — had its proper place on the list, I started thinking about the slogan and what it means.
I remember running into Charles Zilinski, class of 2015, at Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters in Greenfield last winter. Charles completed the electrical program at FCTS, and works for Crocker Communications as a telecommunication technician and electrical apprentice. He was on his way to work at Hampshire College where they were wiring a net-zero waste and water building, one of only six buildings in the world to receive the Living Building Certification. I considered Julie (Clapp) Clark, class of 2011, who I see weekly on site visits to the GVNA Adult Day Health Program in Greenfield. Julie first went to the Adult Day program as a health technology freshman student and was hired as a nursing assistant in 2014. She went on to be promoted to activity coordinator, and recently completed coursework to qualify to sit for a national exam to become certified as an activities director.
Then there were April (Guillemette) Boyden, class of 2012, and Emily Tuthill, class of 2011 — health technology alums who graduated from the Greenfield Community College Nursing Program this past May. They both went on to pass the nursing licensing exam, and are now working at Buckley Health Care Center and Poets Seat Health Care Center, respectively.
I reflect on conversations with colleagues about the cosmetology students who recently passed their state licensing board exams, the plumbing alum who purchased his own home, and the carpentry graduate who runs his own business.
Finally, I think about our current students like Dylan Rogers, class of 2017, a health technology student who is enrolled as an early entrant at GCC during his senior year. In a telephone conversation, Dylan told me that he received an award at GCC for maintaining a grade point average of 3.5 for his first college semester, and that he aced his first exam in anatomy and physiology because his FCTS classes in medical terminology and chemistry had him so well prepared. Dylan plans to pursue a liberal arts degree at GCC and to explore career pathways that relate to his interests in science, entrepreneurship, and personal care product development. Closing with a look at one of our newest additions, ninth grade landscaping student Kelsey Winship. Kelsey communicated her enthusiasm for her program choice last week as she loaded a wheelbarrow with bricks and, with a big smile on her face, offered to show me the paver patio mock-ups that she was working on in the shop.
So, yes, we build futures. In the words of the Association for Career and Technical Education, “Today’s cutting-edge, rigorous and relevant career and technical education (CTE) prepare youth for a wide range of high-wage, high-skill, high-demand careers.” It’s gratifying, every day, to be a part of this process at FCTS.
Gretchen D. Werle lives in Florence.