Van Dyke CTE Programs Prepare Students for the Future
Van Dyke Public Schools is proud and passionate about the Career and Technology Education Program it has built over the years. In 2012, the state-of-the-art CTE Building (Mark A. Kedzior Center) was opened on the Lincoln High School Campus. The Center offers Culinary Arts, Dental Assisting, Automotive Repair, Drafting, and Manufacturing classes. Students have the opportunity to begin taking classes in these areas as early as 9th grade. For students who go into a second year, they often seek certification within that career field and/ or take on paid co-op or internship opportunities while they are still in high school. What is most rewarding is to hear the success stories of students who took one of these courses and then went on to a rewarding career in that field. Here are just a few of those stories.
• “I graduated from Lincoln high school in 2018. Programs that I took during my school years were Dental, Culinary, Auto, Nursing and Web Design. Mrs. Lipiec , Chef , Mr. Ron , and Mr. Cook were my great teachers. During my 12th grade year I was already working as a manager at a clothing store. In my heart I knew that I really wanted to work in the dental field. Surprisingly my brother had a dentist appointment that my parents asked me to take him to. I took my chance to step out my comfort zone to ask a hygienist a couple questions about her job. She gave me some great advice then told me that they do provide training and I should really try to apply to start my career. Suddenly I get a call from my dental teacher (Mrs. Lipiec) and found out she works at the place I applied to!! I received the job offer and worked there for a period of time, unfortunately due to cut backs I was let go. Though devastated, that did not stop me from wanting to continue my journey. I applied for another dental office and was blessed to receive the job that I am at to date. Taking these courses during high school allowed me to determine what profession I wanted to be in life. Having the knowledge of being a dental assistant (at an early age) was a good advantage to take with me to find the job I wanted. Also taking that class made me more confident in myself into making the right decision/ plans for my future, without that I wouldn’t have known that I really liked dentistry. The goal that I do have is to stay in the dental field to eventually become a dental hygienist. Working as an assistant is a chance to build your skills (such as taking x-rays), you learn how to accomplish tasks like working as a team with your co-workers, also getting the chance to meet and grow with your patients. Finally my advice to the current students in these programs is to take what your teacher is teaching you very seriously. Every teacher goes to their job to do their best into helping you succeed into finding the right future for you. If you have a lot of interest in your classes, don’t be afraid to apply yourself in that field. Start early! Study hard and actually take time to know if you can see yourself surviving for that field. Once you get into your career make sure to always have a passion to learn more about your job and continue pushing yourself for greatness. Never give up, and never get too comfortable. Level yourself even more. You can do it!” — Brylyn Morson
• “I took Dental Assisting, Anatomy, Health Information Services, and Medical Assisting. I am currently working as a dental assistant. Some skills it helped me with is basically how to be a dental assistant as well as how to talk to patient in a professional setting. I heard about this job from the Dental Assisting teacher, Mrs. Lipiec. Advice I would give to a student that wants to go into this field is to really get into the medical classes, you learn a lot about professionalism and how to protect yourself from bacteria and HIPPA. I have had many mentors through my career choice. My high school teachers Mrs. Lipiec, Mrs. Vanhuysse, and Mrs. Kausch. I appreciate the opportunity I was given through this program and all the people that have helped me throughout the process.” — Kaylee Asmar
• “I went directly from high school (2014 graduate) to my career, and it happened because my manufacturing teacher Mr. Sisco recommended me for a position at Eifel mold and engineering where I went for an interview and got the job and have been here ever since. Currently I am a CNC programmer/machinist. My manufacturing CTE class at Lincoln prepared me for my career because it taught me the basics to what I learned here at Eifel on the job such as micrometer reading, Bridgeport and manual lathe operations, also how to read basic M and G codes. The thing I love most about my job is the people at Eifel. It is a smaller company so we are very family oriented here and all get along very well. Also the people here are very willing to share information so it is very easy to ask questions and learn from the people here. Also another thing I like about my job is that I get to see solid rough blocks of steel become machined into a functioning plastic injection mold. I plan to remain in this career, my ultimate goal would eventually become a manufacturing manager but for now I want to become more fluent in 5-Axis machine/programming. Some advice I would give to someone that has not had CTE classes is that I would look into it because the opportunities are endless and you could end up in a career path of something that you love doing.” — Michael Owen
• “While attending Lincoln High School I was offered a co-op position at Eifel Mold after I took
CAD and Manufacturing classes. I continued working for the company after I graduated in 2017 and now I am an Injection Mold Designer. The CTE classes helped me chose my career path and set me on the right track of what I wanted to do. I love the people I work with; we always work as a team. And I love how I always see the result of my work. My goals are to learn as much as I can about the automotive industry so that I will be able to manage an entire company. Advice I would offer to current high school student — If you are unsure what you want to do for a good living after graduation you need to attend CTE classes.” — Joe Kiwark