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Student Services (from l to r): Donna Cash (Fort Cobb); Sandra Whaley (Fort Cobb); Christi Smith (Fort Cobb); Mandy Bellamy (Fort Cobb); Tara White (Lookeba); Leta Gayle Riley (Mountain View); Sharon Roberts (Apache); Staci Repp (Fort Cobb); Janet Hixon (Carnegie); Shelly McAdoo (Carnegie); Pam McEachern (Anadarko); Carol Skinner- Kalahan (Carnegie); Sue Pond (Oney); and Polly Bredy (Gotebo). Not pictured is Ronda Weaver (Fort Cobb).

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

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Maynoma Curtis passes Accredited Legal Secretary Certification exam.

CKTC Counselor Pam McEachern became a mentor and confidant to Cain. “I don’t know how many times I found my way into Pam’s office and just vented about my life, my kids, or the world in general. She never judged. She listened to me and, without ever once saying ‘this is what you should do,’ guided me into making some big decisions,” said Cain.

“A huge bonus at Caddo Kiowa was the on campus day care. As a student and single mother I would have had an extremely difficult time juggling school and my young children. The day care being available on campus made it possible for me to attend school. It wasn’t just the physical location of the day care, the quality of care my children received there allowed me to concentrate on school, it took away the worry. My daughter had some pretty extreme health problems when she was very young. I know her care giver, Becky Perkins, saved her life. It also made me a very picky mom from that point on. I judged every child care facility from that point on by the standards I knew were possible. I’ve never found a center that I felt as secure in as I did at CKTC. “

Cain was active in CKTC’s SkillsUSA and Toastmasters. She was recognized as an Outstanding Non-Traditional Student by Oklahoma Career Tech. Counselor Pam McEachern said, “Leslie was involved with her classes and other programs on campus. She was focused and determined and she didn’t put up with anything from anybody. She knew what she wanted and she didn’t let anything stand in her way.”

After completing her program, Cain went to OSU Okmulgee where she received an associate degree. As an electronics technician she worked for Explore Pipeline, assembled Doper on Wheels at the University of Oklahoma and worked for ten years at the Oklahoma Mesonet.

“I loved working at the Mesonet. It had gotten to the point where the physical part of the job was hard for me to do. Climbing towers and hauling wire were still doable, but they were more difficult than they were ten years ago. I started looking for something else,” Cain said.

The something else turned out to be Head Start. What started as a temporary position and a leap of faith has now transitioned into a new career and a return to school, cyber style. Cain explained, “The Head Start job was a temporary nine-week position. I had been looking for a new path for quite some time and I just felt like this was a door that was opening in answer to my prayers. My new temporary job turned into a full time one and I knew that to do it right, I needed to go back to school for my Child Development Associate (CDA). I checked into evening classes at a local tech center, but the class didn’t make. I checked with OU and East Central, but the timing was off, their classes had already started. Then I found out that the classes I needed were available online and through CKTC. I knew that was going to be a perfect fit, again!”

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

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Leslie Cain creates a path for her and her family by getting trained at CKTC.

Nominated by Caddo Kiowa Technology Center, Smith was recognized as a Partner for Progress at the 2010 Career and Technology Education Summer Conference in Tulsa. The award recognizes businesses and industries that demonstrate a commitment to CareerTech education in a variety of ways including financial support, cooperative programs, community involvement and student sponsorships.

Smith has been with CKTC’s Agricultural Business Program almost since its inception. He has also been a significant supporter of other CKTC programs and services to the district. He helped form the Washita Valley Leadership Program, and he is an annual presenter and financial contributor.

Dean supported and provided input for CKTC’s Crop Care and Ag Technology Program in Ag Business. Along with wheat, Dean also grows unique crops like spinach, greens, teff seed, and his most famous crop: Super hot chili peppers. His farm is literally a laboratory for adult students in the Crop Care and Ag Technology Program.

Dean has given many Caddo Kiowa graduates their first jobs in welding or mechanics. He knows they will probably leave him for industries that pay better than production agriculture, but until that opportunity comes, he is happy to provide them with an arena in which they can apply their trade and continue to hone their skills. Dean has also provided part time jobs and helped find housing for students moving in from outside the district.

As president of the Hinton Economic Authority, Dean has embraced Caddo Kiowa and its services to help improve the economic fortunes of his home community. Caddo Kiowa is proud to nominate Dean Smith and SS Farms as a true partner in progress.

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

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Attending the reception to recognize Dean Smith were (l to r) Dustin Tackett, CKTC Board Member; Wade Walling, CKTC Assistant Superintendent; Keith Brownback, CKTC Ag Business Management Coordinator; Dean Smith, Owner SS Farms; Dale Beerwinkle, CKTC Ag Business Management Coordinator; and Dennis Ruttman, CKTC Superintendent.

This year’s winner of the Support Staff Award is Jana Savage, Encumbrance Clerk. Savage lives in Gracemont and has worked at CKTC for seven years.

“The people with whom I work are very thoughtful. I consider each one of them a gift, a very wonderful one; and I thank them very much for this honor. The faculty and students are what make CKTC an awesome place to work,” said Savage.

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

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Dennis Ruttman presents Jana Savage with the 2009-2010 Support Staff of the Year Award.

This year’s winner of the New Teacher of the Year was Rhett Morgan, Pre-Engineering and Math Instructor. Morgan lives in Carnegie and has worked at CKTC for three years.

“To be selected by my peers is rewarding. I enjoy working with our faculty and students. Our students come from different communities and backgrounds but share one goal and that’s to do their best. Our students are very excited about our Robotics Team and are motivated to be successful,” stated Morgan.

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

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Dennis Ruttman presents Rhett Morgan with the 2009-2010 New Teacher of the Year Award.

This year’s winner of the Teacher of the Year award was Laurie Stocking, Practical Nursing Director. Stocking lives in Carnegie and has worked at CKTC for six years.

“It’s rewarding to educate nursing students who will be providing health services to my family in the county that I am so proud to be a product of. I am honored to be chosen as teacher of the year and would like to take this opportunity to thank my parents, Greg and Geri Little, for their constant love and support of my dreams,” said Stocking.

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

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Laurie Stocking was named CKTC’s 2009-2010 Teacher of the Year.

“Caddo Kiowa has consistently had one of the highest adult enrollments across the state; but in the last couple of years, CKTC has seen a spike in high school enrollments. I feel with stronger college, high school and CareerTech partnerships, the possibilities for high school students these days are incredible,” stated Ruttman.

During a time of budget cuts and administrative shifts, CKTC students and staff have answered challenges with success: This year the PTA program had 44 applicants apply with only 14 openings; participation in student organizations has increased, resulting in student recognitions and awards; new enrollment procedures and deadlines have resulted in full programs with waiting lists; and many new initiatives have prepared staff to embrace changes in the educational process of all students.

This year CKTC has committed to the Tech Centers That Work program. TCTW encourages CareerTech teachers to incorporate basic education such as math, science and literacy into their trade curriculum (e.g. when the construction instructor shows student roof framing, plumb cuts, roof pitch and rafter lengths, he can explain that these are also principles of basic geometry). TCTW is a proven practice that guarantees an increase in test scores and success.

Other initiatives include Character First (teaching the importance of character traits); and a Tobacco-Free campus.

At the end of the day Friday, Student Services reported that enrollment was over 500 with limited seating available in the following areas: Auto Service, Diesel, HVAC, Hotel and Restaurant Management, Networking, Construction, Criminal Justice, Collision Repair and Graphic Communications.

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

“It’s my pleasure to announce this year’s recipient of the Partnership Award,” stated CKTC Superintendent Dennis Ruttman.

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

Dennis Ruttman (center), CKTC superintendent presents a rug designed by the Carpet and Rug Design course at Great Plains Correctional Facility to Raymond Cole (left), Cement superintendent and Dale Bledsoe (right), Cement principal.

The main focus of the class is problem identification and the selection of the best agronomic practices that target these problems while addressing environmental and applicator safety concerns. Other subjects covered include agronomy, soil sampling and agriculture technologies using GPS and GIS.

Keith Brownback, CKTC Agribusiness instructor, provides the information needed to become a successful agriculture commercial applicator. The Crop Care Program is designed for the demands of the working students and consists of both online lessons and hands-on, field labs.

Kent Watkins, CPS manager, suggested the program to Winegeart after hearing about the success of the program and its instructor.

“I will probably not be the one to actually do the application, although after completing the class, I could. Having the additional knowledge base will help me help my clients battle the threats to their crops and increase their productivity,” said Winegeart.

Winegeart grew up in a rural agriculture based community at Calumet and helped her father with his hay business and working harvest. Those two components gave her both a respect for and an understanding of the trials and triumphs of working with the land. She earned a degree in communications and business and began working in sales.

A year ago she began the position with Crop Production Services. “It is a perfect fit. I enjoy coming to work each day. I like my clients and the way we work at solving problems.”

Winegeart is now working on the second part of the Crop Care Program curriculum. “The program has given me new tools to use, and I’m looking forward to the next part of the class. Keith Brownback is awesome,” she said.

For information about the Crop Care Program, contact Keith Brownback at Caddo Kiowa Technology Center, 405-643-3280. Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

Jessica Winegeart is now working on the second part the CKTC’s Crop Care Program.

Other students participating in CKTC’s Crop Care Program are Devin Hrdy (Yukon), Jessica Winegeart (Yukon), Robert Crider (Clinton), Jeremy Cole (Lahoma), and Sheldon Slagell (Weatherford). Instructor Keith Brownback is also pictured (kneeling).

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Fort Cobb, OK – March 5, 2010 -   Candice Whish (Carnegie), a CKTC Cosmetology student recently competed at Regionals. She placed fifth in the post-secondary division of the SkillsUSA competition in Nails. 

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

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Fort Cobb, OK – March 5, 2010 - Tasha Red (Fort Cobb), a CKTC Cosmetology student recently competed at Regionals. She placed second in the post-secondary division of the SkillsUSA competition in Hair. Red will advance to State in May.
Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

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Fort Cobb, OK – February 23, 2010 – Zach Smith (Fort Cobb), a CKTC HVAC student, recently placed fifth at SkillsUSA competition. 

Richard Short (Cyril), a CKTC HVAC student, recently placed sixth at SkillsUSA competition.

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

Pictured from left to right are CKTC HVAC Students Zach Smith and Richard Short.

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Fort Cobb, OK – February 23, 2010 -   Caddo Kiowa Technology Center students recently placed at SkillsUSA District Leadership contest.

Those who placed in Job Interview Post-Secondary Division are Criminal Justice Student Sandra Nix (Carnegie), first place; Cosmetology Student Amanda Owings (Fort Cobb), second place; and Criminal Justice Student William Chase (Anadarko), third place.

Those who placed in Job Interview Secondary Division are Criminal Justice Students Alysha Archilta (Anadarko HS), second place; and Kyli Ahtone (Riverside), seventh place.

Second place winner in Prepared Speech Post-Secondary Division went to Carpentry Student Kenneth Chavez (Carnegie).

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

CKTC Criminal Justice students placing at contest are Alysha Archilta, Kyli Ahtone, Sandra Nix and William Chase.

CKTC Cosmetology student placing at contest is Amanda Owings.

CKTC Carpentry Student placing at contest is Kenneth Chavez.

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Fort Cobb, OK – February 22, 2010 - Nathanial Charlton (Cement High School), a CKTC Automotive Service Technology student recently competed at Canadian Valley Tech Center in El Reno.   He placed fifth in the secondary SkillsUSA competition.   

Victor Spigarelli (Carnegie), a CKTC Automotive Service Technology student recently competed at Canadian Valley Tech Center in El Reno.   He placed first in the post-secondary SkillsUSA competition. 

Pictured from left to right are Students Nathaniel Charlton, Victor Spigarelli and Instructor Adam Ellis with the HawkEye high-definition digital imaging alignment machine.

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

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Fort Cobb, OK – February 22, 2010 -   Derek Williams (Cement High School), a CKTC HVAC student recently competed at Great Plains Technology Center in Lawton.   He placed sixth out of 29 in the secondary SkillsUSA competition. 

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

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Fort Cobb, OK – February 15, 2010 -   Teresa Friend (Anadarko), a CKTC Construction Technology student  competed in the Cabinet Contest at Great Plains Technology Center in Lawton.   She placed third in the post-secondary division of the SkillsUSA competition.  Jerry Perkey is the CKTC Construction Technology instructor.

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

CKTC Auto Service students are ready to start using the new Kobalt hand tools donated by Lowe’s. From left to right are
Adam Ellis, instructor; Evan Stucks (Anadarko); Mac Patterson (Hydro); Justin Bryant (Anadarko);John Mathews (Anadarko);
Mannie Kestler (Fort Cobb); Nathanial Charlton (Cement); and Lauriano Deleon (Hydro).

Lutonsky and Bland completed the Practical Nursing Program at CKTC in April. Lutonsky has already taken and passed the state licensing test and Bland is scheduled to take hers later this month.

The fall of 2008 found Lacy Bland with an eight month old son, Trey, and a husband deployed to Iraq with the Oklahoma National Guard. She was looking for something to occupy her mind.

Laneta Lutonsky was working as a home health aide and had been thinking for quite some time about going to school to become a practical nurse. The two decided to submit their PN applications. Both were accepted and began classes in February of 2009.

The two learned to use the other’s strengths. Bland helped her mother study and adjust to the self-paced classes. Lutonsky helped her daughter with her years of experience in the health field.

“Tests! I hated taking the tests. I can almost say I resented them,” said Lutonsky of returning to school. “But now, after successfully taking the state exam, I can say it was one of the things that helped me the most. During school I studied every evening. If I had taken a test and missed a question I studied the right answer and also the answers that weren’t right, so I would understand why they were wrong. I won’t say I miss taking tests now, but I can certainly see where taking them benefited me in the long-run.”

Going back to school wasn’t even on Bland’s mind. “I had a job and thought I would probably just keep doing that same job from now on. At first, when Mom started talking to me about going to school, I looked at it as a way to fill the time while my husband was gone. But now, the nursing profession is my profession. I’ll sit for my state test later this month. Then, I am going to start working on becoming an RN. I want to work in the pediatric and obstetrics field.”

Later this month Lutonsky will start a new job as an LPN for the same company where she once was an aide. She is looking forward to a new chapter in her life. Bland is studying for her licensure exam.

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

Mother and daughter, Laneta Lutonsky (Cyril) and Lacy Bland (Cyril), go back to school together.

“I was proud of our students. They showed respect, genuine interest and presented some very good questions for Representative Dorman. Likewise, I was glad to have Representative Dorman take time from his busy schedule to meet with our students and our staff,” said Superintendent Dennis Ruttman.

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

Wade Walling, Assistant Superintendent, thanks Representative Joe Dorman for visiting CKTC.

“I was so glad I was a part of the experience,” reported Mrs. Britton (Binger-Oney). “The students loved the activities and I enjoyed participating with them.”

The students rotated through different areas to experience such activities as birdhouse construction, robot design, digital imaging software, hair design, driving simulators, to name a few.

“It was an exciting event that we will definitely repeat again next year,” said Dennis Ruttman, CKTC superintendent. “All our staff participated in the activities and those who attended are still sending positive comments about the day’s events.”
Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

Sessions are held between September and April, and topics include leadership, economic and community development, agriculture, education, health, government, team building and business communications.

Applications are now being accepted for Class 17. Contact Cindy Murphy at 405-643-3281 for more information.
Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

Bottom row from left to right are Nancy Griffin (Fort Cobb), Patti Haley (Binger), Susan Biddy (Fort Cobb), Renee’ Kendell (Hinton) Cindy Murphy (Oney) Pam Weaver (Fort Cobb).

Top row from left to right are Erral Myers (Anadarko), Donnie Miller (Cyril), Michael Entz (Hydro) Greg Little (Carnegie), Kirk Wilson (Binger), Dennis Ruttman (Hinton) and Kem Crowell (Fort Cobb).

Not pictured are Robert Crews III (Apache), Larry McDaniel (Apache), Jodi Boucher (Mountain View) Ginger Abbott (Anadarko), Daniel Cobarrubio (Anadarko), Chuck Hood (Hinton) and Bryant Potts (Binger).

With increased requirements for schools at the state and federal levels, CKTC partnered with 14 of its sending school districts to apply for a USDA Rural Utilities Distance Learning Grant. Project “SUCCESS” led by CKTC received $480,627 to implement a local distance learning project.

The purpose of the grant is to create a modern interactive video conferencing network and to provide a web-based virtual curriculum that is accessible to students, day or night. The network and equipment will also help schools expand existing curriculum.
The project will allow area high school students access to necessary curriculum and college courses for pre-requisites to specific occupations, which will help families save on college tuition. Likewise, the project will address shortages of qualified employees in health and engineering careers by offering increased training options. The system will also be used to provide educators with professional development.

Another benefit of the project is that it will provide emergency, lifesaving, medical training to first responders, fire and ambulance staff, students, teachers and community residents.

The state-of-the-art interactive video conferencing network will be housed at CKTC. All participating schools will receive a high definition H.323 portable video conferencing system. These video conferencing systems are equipped with multimedia tools that provide video conferencing in any classroom or location with Internet access.
Participants include CKTC, Anadarko, Binger-Oney, Apache, Carnegie, Cement, Cyril, Fort Cobb-Broxton, Gracemont, Hinton, Hydro, Lookeba-sickles, Mountain View-Gotebo and Verden High Schools and communities, with an estimated outreach of 19,500 people.

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

Lonnie Bliss, Carnegie High School Principal, meets with the technician
as he installs the new equipment provided for by the RUS grant.

Fort Cobb, OK – April 19, 2010 - Mark Taylor, CKTC Collision Repair instructor, congratulates Thomas Blanchard (Fort Cobb) and LeVern Satepeahtaw (Carnegie) for passing their Non-Structural Competency Exam. Both students received a set of body hammers and dollies, a personal gift from Instructor Mark Taylor.

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

Cargill recently presented at CKTC to high school students in the district, as well as CKTC students.

The workshop covered the material on the ACT test and how to master the technique of taking the test. The workshop covered general ideas about the ACT as a whole and the individual sections of English, math, reading and science.

The 160 students, who attended the workshop, left with strategies and rules to help them succeed in taking the ACT.
Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

Polly Bredy, CKTC Counselor/Tech Prep Coordinator, welcomes Chad Cargill.
Cargill raised his ACT score 13 points and now helps other students improve their score.

The competition drew 46 teams from Oklahoma, as well as nine teams from other states. Approximately 1,200 participants, including students, teachers, mentors and volunteers, attended the event.

The Crickets were the highest ranking team from Oklahoma. The rankings are based on not only win-loss record, but also on overall performance of all teams in each contest. There are six robots in each contest with three blue and three red teams head-to-head. The top eight teams in the rankings after the qualifying rounds had a captain from each team on the field, where the elimination tournament teams were selected. The tournament is best two out of three with eight teams. The CKTC team lost in the semi-finals game by one point. The winning alliance was made up of two Kansas teams and one Missouri team. Each team on the winning alliance had played in the Kansas City Regional three weeks earlier.

In January, teams received a kit with motors, batteries, control system, personal computer and a selection of automation components, but no instructions. The teams’ assignment was to create a robot that can kick a soccer-style ball into a goal. The competition provided high school students a chance to experience planning and building robots, without instruction.

The robotics team includes students enrolled in pre-engineering at CKTC. The robotics program has developed into a community event with students from several CKTC programs becoming involved in the building process. Those who helped were Construction Students Skylar B. Tartsah, Larry Cole and Vincent Daugomah (Riverside Indian School) and Jerry Perkey, instructor; Graphics Students Aarron Massey and Caleb Wettseline (Apache High School), Kylith Thompson (Cement High School) Rachel Wade (Fort Cobb Broxton High School) Evan Roberson (Wynnewood) Micheal Haworth (Mountain View), Patton Ramming (Hinton) and Scott Wright, instructor; Welding Students Daniel Rodriguez (Fort Cobb) and Keith Theesen, instructor; Auto Service Technology Students Victor Spigarelli (Carnegie) Lauriano Deleon (Hinton) and John Matthews (Anadarko), and Adam Ellis, instructor.
Other assistance was provided by Daniel Moore, CKTC Technology Coordinator, Brad Bryant, SWOSU Technology Department and the CKTC Communications and Marketing department.

Financial sponsorship of the CKTC Robotics team was provided by Caddo Electric Cooperative, Rural Oklahoma Community Foundation and the Oklahoma Education Enhancement Foundation, Representative Joe Dorman, Daniel Moore and Ronda Weaver.

Rhett Morgan, Pre-Engineering instructor, said, “We had a lot of support from our CKTC campus programs and personnel as well as from many of our sending schools. We very much appreciate that help and look forward to their continued support in the years to come. Our students are already thinking about what we can do better next year. We are searching for sponsors [to help financially and also for mentors] to help with next year’s robot.”

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

CKTC FIRST Robotics team at the regional competition - Kneeling l-r : Alex Scrudder (Mountain View-Gotebo High School) and Clint Peck (Mountain View-Gotebo High School). Doug Fletcher (Cyril High School), Dakota Gatlin (Mountain View-Gotebo High School) Ethan Murray (Hinton High School), Ethan Ladymon (Cement High School), Rhett Morgan, CKTC instructor, Robert Wood (Cement High School) and Marcia Harmon, CKTC instructor.

Creative Problem Solving (team event): Rili Brittain and Tayla Reynolds(Cement High School) and Sydney Samaniego and Gloria Ballejo (Anadarko High School).

CPR/First Aid (team event): Elizabeth Dowling and Amber Hathorn (Apache High School).

Home Health Aide: Tandi Boling (Hinton High School).

Medical Photography: Leslie Golden (Cyril High School).

Outstanding HOSA Chapter: Kelly Saucier (Cement High School).

Forensic Medicine (team event): Team 1-Raven Jones (Anadarko High School) and Haili Pimentel (Carnegie High School). Team 2-Charla Haag and Kristina Thompson (Hinton High School).

Beverly Winn is the Health Careers Certification instructor. Students in Creative Problem Solving, CPR/First Aid, Home Health Aid and Forensic Medicine participated in on-line exams earlier this semester to qualify for the state conference.

More than 1,900 students and educators are expected to participate in the state conference on April 7-9. The event will be held at the Meridian Convention Center in Oklahoma City.

HOSA is the CareerTech student-led organization associated with health occupations education. According to Debbie Shumaker, State HOSA Advisor, there will be more than 50 different competitive events that students may participate in during the conference. Many of the preliminary events were held online through a partnership with the CareerTech Testing Division and their health certification web testing services.

“Twenty-six events had online tests where students competed prior to the finals at the state conference,” Shumaker said. “This has saved the state and HOSA more than $17,000 in transportation costs, hotel expenses, registration fees and substitute teacher pay.”
She added that Oklahoma was the first state HOSA association in the United States to conduct competitive events online.

A highlight of the conference will be the keynote address presented by John Beede. His presentation is called, “Climb On.”
Students qualify to attend the National HOSA Leadership Conference by placing in the top three positions at state, which will be held in Orlando, Florida in June. Last year, Oklahoma sent over 200 students and advisors to the Nationals. In 2009, Oklahoma’s delegation brought home 37 gold, sliver and bronze honors with an additional 18 in the top 10.

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

Forensic Medicine – Front Row, left to right: Charla Haag and Haili Pimentel.
Back Row, left to right: Kristina Thompson and Raven Jones.

Health Careers
Front Row, left to right: Amber Hathorn, Gloria Ballejo, Rili Brittain.
Back Row, left to right: Leslie Golden, Elizabeth Dowling, Sydney Samaniego, Kelly Saucier and Tayla Reynolds.
Not pictured Tandi Boling.

The accreditation is a volunteer process for CKTC. NAC was chosen because their philosophy most closely meshes with the philosophy of CKTC’s Child Development Center. Both CKTC and NAC emphasize teacher/child interactions. Vicki Rexroat, CKTC Child Development Center Director said, “This is our 18th year to be accredited. Even though the accreditation process occurs every three years, we are always working to achieve high quality standards. There are changes within our structure all the time. We have staff changes and new guidelines come into play. It’s an ongoing process.”

As a NAC accredited center, CKTC Child Development Center has been recognized as an early care and education program that exemplifies excellence in the care of young children. By achieving NAC accreditation, CKTC Child Development Center provides a high quality program for children, provides professional development opportunities for staff, provides parents a program that has exceeded state licensing requirements and provides children an environment that is conducive to their individual grown and development.

The Accreditation process included a self-study process in which administrators, staff and parents evaluated the program in accordance with NAC accreditation standards. After the self-study process was complete an onsite observation took place at CKTC Child Development Center by an early childhood professional. After the observation, national commissioners assessed the information provided by CKTC Child Development Center and the onsite observer to award, defer or deny accreditation. All parents, staff members and administrators at CKTC Child Development Center are to be congratulated for achieving this level of excellence.

The National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs (NAC) is sponsored by the National Association of Child Care Professionals (NACCP). NACCP is the nation’s leader among associations serving child care owners, directors and administrators. The organization’s goal is to strengthen and enhance the credibility of leaders in the field of early child care and education by providing membership services and benefits. For more information about NCAAP and NAC, please visit www.naccp.org.

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

Anadarko: Tedrick Lawrence, Advanced CNC Machinist; Alex Phillips, Lodging Manager; Flora Morton, Cedric Sanchez & Nathan Taylor, BCT; Wallace Bointy & Jeremy Killsfirst, Commercial HVAC; Jennifer Kionute, Prep Cook; Alysha Archilta Criminal Justice.

Binger: Kevin Cox, Structural Welder.

Boone-Apache: Jani Sumpter, Associate Teacher.

Carnegie: Sarita Horse, Lodging Manager; Jana Kelly, LPN; Patrick Hadley, Combination Collision Repair ; Kenneth Chavez, Lead Carpenter ; Aaron Beeman, Structural Welder ; Damian Burgess, BCT .

Cement: Robert M. Wood, Honors Physics; Derick Williams, Commercial HVAC ; Jessica Mandrell, Early Care Education ; Donal Pewitt, Early Care Education ; April Smith, Cosmetologist.

Cyril: Richard Short, Commercial HVAC ; Tanner Phillips, Med/Heavy Diesel Prevention ; Laneta Lutonsky, LPN; Cody Roberts, Nurse Assisting ; Jimmy Kerr, Culinary Arts Management , Justin Carson, Criminal Justice Officer; Brandon King, Graphic Arts Production.

Fort Cobb: Jamie Rogers, Enterprise Network ; Laken Lierle, Associate Teacher ; Caroline Wilson, Tyler Aaron, Stacy Hill, Jace Marrow & Colby May BCT; Jessica Hudson; Nurse Assisting; Clint Dyer & Patton Ramming, Graphic Arts Production : Ariana Torralba, Print Technician.

Gracemont: Sarah Allen, LPN.

Hinton: Mariah Elliott & Charla Haag, Nurse Assisting.

Hydro: John Sands, Criminal Justice Officer ; Amber Baker, BCT.

Mountain View-Gotebo: Clinton Peck, Honors Physics ; Claudia Spell, BCT.

Riverside: Cameo Buckles, Culinary Arts Management ; Alfred Billie, Les Rouillard, Amanda Matsaw & Cedric Nash-Yazzie, Lodging Manager; Larry Cole, Structural Carpenter.

Verden: Robert Pecina, Commercial HVAC.

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

“Students were recognized for their successful efforts to obtain education, training and employment amid the struggles faced by striving to rise above poverty,” said Ronda Weaver, Student Services Counselor at Caddo Kiowa Technology Center in Fort Cobb, and OKCTEEC Awards Chair.

Little Chief, a single mother of five daughters, has shown great tenacity in reaching her ultimate goal of becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse. She overcame poverty and great odds as she worked through the rigors of three programs at Caddo Kiowa Technology Center in Fort Cobb to attain a high-wage career in the medical field, according to Weaver.

“Patricia first completed Business Computer Technology and then Certified Nurse Aide where she maintained employment as a CNA for four years while also attending the Practical Nursing program at CKTC. Upon passing her LPN board exam, she was immediately promoted from her CNA position to that of an LPN at the Glenhaven Retirement Center in Chickasha,” Weaver said. “She is a prime example to her daughters and her community that self-determination and positive choices lead to independence and success.”

“Making It Work Day” recognizes not only students, but individuals who are committed to removing barriers to success for families in poverty by providing educational experiences for students beyond the classroom. Special recognition is also given to people who received acknowledgment for their efforts on a national level.

The purposes of OKCTEEC are to increase effectiveness of education, promote research and strategies in education and educational equity, develop leadership, and provide advocacy for equity and diversity.

“These students are learning methods to independently continue their education while working to further improve the lives of their families,” said Lou Ann Hargrave, OKCTEEC adviser and CareerTech’s state coordinator for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

Educators and professional partners also play an important role in “Making it Work.”

“By contributing to the professional development of students in poverty, we are able to improve the economic outlook for the future,” Hargrave said.
State and federal programs often cannot remove all the obstacles facing those living in poverty.

“A strong community partnership is a vital link in the employment chain from education and training to self-sufficiency,” said Jackson, president of OKCTEEC. “We rely heavily on our community partners to provide learning opportunities outside of the classroom.”

OKCTEEC is affiliated with the administrative division of the Oklahoma Association of Career and Technology Education. The council promotes communication and the use of resources for the education of disadvantaged students. OKCTEEC also creates linkages between students, educators, community partners, and business/industry leaders.

For more information about OKCTEEC, call Lou Ann Hargrave at 405-743-5128 or visit http://cteec.org/. For more information about CareerTech agencies, visit www.okcareertech.org/main/division/.htm.

Presenting the award from left to right
Glenhaven Retirement Center in Chickasha Director of NursingCheryl Wilkison and Patricia Little Chief.

“Making It Work Day” recognizes not only students, but individuals, businesses and industries and community leaders who are committed to removing barriers to success for families in poverty by providing educational experiences for students beyond the classroom. Special recognition is also given to people who received acknowledgment for their efforts on a national level.

“More than 160 deserving businesses, agencies, community service providers and educators and who make a difference in the lives of adult students striving to rise from poverty including successful students who owe their public recognition to Ronda Weaver,” said Sue Pond who nominated Weaver. Pond is the student services counselor at CKTC.

Weaver is active both nationally and at the state level by serving on CTEEC awards committees. She has served for seven years as the awards chair for OKCTEEC Making It work Day and for the Breaking Traditions Student Achievement Award which is presented to outstanding students enrolled in non-traditional training for their gender.

“My favorite task is leading students through CareerTech and college plans of study, teaching them individually about their pathway to a college degree while encouraging them that they can also be success in working full-time and raising their children,” Weaver said. “My current goal is to learn Spanish to better serve bi-lingual students.”

The purposes of OKCTEEC are to increase effectiveness of education, promote research and strategies in education and educational equity, develop leadership, and provide advocacy for equity and diversity.

“These students are learning methods to independently continue their education while working to further improve the lives of their families,” said Lou Ann Hargrave, OKCTEEC adviser and CareerTech’s state coordinator for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. “By contributing to the professional development of students in poverty, we are able to improve the economic outlook for the future.”

State and federal programs often cannot remove all the obstacles facing those living in poverty.

“A strong community partnership is a vital link in the employment chain from education and training to self-sufficiency,” said Michelle Jackson, president of OKCTEEC. Jackson is the coordinator of Project HIRE at Tulsa Technology Center. “We rely heavily on our community partners to provide learning opportunities outside of the classroom.”

OKCTEEC is affiliated with the administrative division of the Oklahoma Association of Career and Technology Education. The council promotes communication and the use of resources for the education of disadvantaged students. OKCTEEC also creates linkages between students, educators, community partners, and business/industry leaders.

For more information about OKCTEEC, call Lou Ann Hargrave at 405-743-5128 or visit http://cteec.org/. For more information about CareerTech agencies, visit www.okcareertech.org/main/division/.htm.

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LINK TO PHOTO

PRESENTING THE AWARD, FROM THE LEFT
Chief Financial Officer Brady McCullough, Oklahoma Department of CareerTech; Sen. Tom Ivester, Weaver; and Oklahoma Department of Human Services Director Howard Hendrick. Back row: Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs for the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Kermit McMurry.

“This says a lot about the significance this individual puts on what he or she learned at Caddo Kiowa Technology Center. It’s something like this that sends a strong statement about the need and value of education in the lives of the people, not only in CKTC’s district, but also the state,” said Dennis Ruttman, CKTC Superintendent.

The money was put into the Dr. Orbra C. Husley Foundation, which helps with student scholarships. “I would like to extend my deepest thanks to the donor and applaud the donor’s confidence in CKTC to help others as we did him or her.”

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

Yes, life was good. And then the phone rang. Lively was at work when she received the call that her husband had been in an accident at work.
He had been caught in the power take-off of his truck -- not just once, but twice. The PTO had first grabbed his jacket. The jacket wound around the equipment until it tore from his body. As he crawled away from the machine, it caught his shirt. Mr. Lively got away again, crawled to the cab of his truck and called for help. Pam arrived at the emergency room hoping for good news but preparing for the worse. Mr.
Lively had received serious head, neck and spine injuries. He survived the accident but came home a different man.

The accident was the first wave in a perfect storm. Medical bills and a now single-income household overwhelmed the couple. The challenges then moved from the hospital to the courtroom, where attorney fees and suspended assistance created a financial disaster.

Lively explains, "We were in financial negotiations with the company.
While those negotiations were ongoing, they didn't pay anything. The courts ruled in our favor, but it took a year, then the attorney took half of the award. We lost our home and moved into the lake house."

During the next nine years, taking care of her husband and managing his affairs controlled her life. Their income consisted of his disability, VA assistance, workman's compensation and what little she made from the few remaining clients she saw each Friday.

"One day as I was taking care of our monthly bills, it hit me. All of the income we were living on now would be gone if anything were to happen to my husband. I knew it was time to make some decisions and take action. If I didn't come up with a plan I would not have any control over my own future," says Lively.

Lively's first thought was that she was too old to learn. Other than her cosmetology certification, she hadn't been in school since she married and dropped out at age 15. Concern about her future and encouragement from a neighbor and her sister-in-law (both CKTC students), motivated her to enroll at CKTC.

The neighbor, Pam Ferencich, suggested she get help from VA funding.
"I don't think many people know that the assistance is available," says Ferencich. "People know about the GI Bill but don't realize the VA will help when a veteran or serviceman has been classified as 100% disabled.
It was exactly what [she and I] needed to make coming to school a real possibility."

The VA Scholarship for Children and Spouses of Deceased or Disabled Veterans and Service Members provided the help that Lively needed to enroll in medical office classes at CKTC. She also took the GED exam and passed with high scores.

"My children have been very supportive of my new student status. They are proud of what I've been able to accomplish," reports Lively. "Ten years ago I couldn't imagine a circumstance that would put me back in the classroom. I don't think anyone ever thinks that the disasters and tragedies they see in the paper will every cast a shadow over their own life. I never did. I thought I knew what was on the road ahead."

Lively concludes, "I think that even though you have a plan and you think you're prepared for whatever might come, you never know what the
next minute will bring. You have to be ready to change your plans --
to adapt. My teachers are supportive and I am learning about some
really interesting things. I love being in school."

Lively is moving through the coursework with determination and perseverance. Sonora White, CKTC instructor, says, "Pam is very devoted to her education. She is here every day with a great attitude and she has a tremendous work ethic."

Additional information about CKTC is available online at www.caddokiowa.com or by calling 405.643.5511.

Faced with harsh realities and tough decisions, Pam Lively (Fort Cobb) enrolls at CKTC.