Alumni Stories Archives - Lancaster County Career & Technology Center

Kayla Hilton always knew she wanted to be an elementary school teacher.

Her mother, Ms. Susan Snyder, teaches the Introduction to Culinary Arts program at Lancaster County Career and Technology Center’s (LCCTC) Mount Joy campus, but Hilton wanted to teach younger students. She explains, “I wanted [students] to enjoy their education and to… have a good set-up, so that they can look at education as a positive thing and not a negative. That’s why I wanted [to teach] a younger age, because this really is the foundation.”

Hilton graduated from our Early Childhood Education program at our Mount Joy campus in 2015 and attended the Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) soon after. She says that her CTC transferrable credits were useful for saving her money and time, but she particularly emphasized how much the depth and practicality of her program’s curriculum prepared her for her future job. “You actually had hands-on. You were able to create lesson plans. You’re actually able to create the materials…. CTC definitely gave me a more realistic education [than college] on what it’s like to be a teacher,” she says, while admitting that her student teaching experience was altered due to the pandemic.

She recalls a lesson on planting and taking care of trees that she taught to preschool-aged children while in high school. She remembers how the children responded with interest and excitement about learning. “That was the one thing that made me feel like, ‘Oh, okay, I can do this….’ It’s not going to be perfect the first time you teach. So it was a kind of confirmation, it was confirming for me that this is what I want to do,” she says.

Hilton currently works as a second-grade teacher at Captain John Smith Elementary School in Virginia. She was recently honored as Teacher of the Year, an award that still shocks her. She says she strives to be the kind of teacher that makes an impact on her students; she described her 101st-Day-of-School celebration this year, where she dressed up as Albert Einstein and made one of her most solemn students laugh. “I’d been trying to help him build his confidence… and I hadn’t been able to make him smile all year,” she remarked.

Hilton admits that even with a few years of experience now, each and every day in the classroom is different. She detailed one reading lesson where all of her “usual teacher tricks” for engagement fell flat. She jokingly offered to bribe her students with candy to do their work and one student “without missing a beat” gasped loudly, “Mrs. Hilton! That’s what kid-nappers do!” “Needless to say, the whole class burst out laughing – and so did I. It was one of those moments that perfectly captures the unpredictable, unfiltered honesty of teaching little ones,” she said.

As Teacher of the Year, Hilton proves that early passion, paired with practical training and a willingness to adapt to the unexpected, can shape a successful career.

Marley Frantz, a former Lancaster County Career and Technology Center (LCCTC) student, found her calling in a School District of Lancaster (SDOL) classroom not far from where she first started her professional journey.

Frantz was enrolled at LCCTC as a student in our Brownstown campus’ Introduction to Health Careers program, and later in the Advanced Health Careers program. She pictured a full-time career for herself in the healthcare industry, and she committed herself wholly to it. “I went to nursing school during [the pandemic], and that was really difficult,” she admitted. At the same time, she worked a night shift at a local emergency department too. “I was just super drained, and then it took me failing my nursing class by 0.7 [percent] my first semester for me to… reevaluate.” After her second semester, she decided she no longer wanted to work in the ER.

She recalls a conversation with SDOL’s Special Education director, a familiar face from her time as a cheerleading coach. She explains that the director encouraged her to apply to a position in a multiple-disabilities classroom with students with medical needs. “I didn’t know the specifics of anything, but the knowledge that I learned, skills that I learned in CTC, definitely helped me in the classroom,” she says. In her new role, she monitored vital signs, managed personal care, and watched for signs of seizures. “It’s not initially what I wanted,” she allows, but she emphasizes that now, “I don’t see myself doing anything else.”

Frantz is currently long-term subbing in an SDOL learning support classroom. She teaches reading, writing, and other academic skills to students in grades six through eight, but more than that, she says, “We make such an impact on these kids. We’re starting to talk about what the future looks like. We’re starting to deal with different problems that they didn’t have before, and [I’m] able to mentor the kids and be there for them.”

She credits Mr. David Ecenrode, our Architectural CAD and Design instructor, as one teacher who she models her mentoring after. “Mr. Ecenrode was that person for me at Brownstown. He really pushed me, [saying], ‘If this is position you want, you’re doing this with 110 percent,” she says, recalling her role as president of her SkillsUSA chapter. Frantz would eventually go on to become the Pennsylvania state delegate at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. She explains many of her professional skills, including her leadership, public speaking, and networking abilities, were developed at Brownstown. She noted she recently led a professional development session on managing behaviors for the entire district, but she argued she wouldn’t have been able to accomplish that without the firm belief of CTC instructors.

Frantz encourages students to be comfortable outside of their comfort zones. “Be brave enough to try new things even when you’re unsure,” she says. She has nearly finished her Special Education degree from Millersville University, and her current job placement has solidified that she is now where she is supposed to be.

At just 24, LCCTC Culinary alum Justin Ilkanhoff started his own business, Traveling J’s food truck, to bring Middle Eastern food to the people of Lancaster. Justin graduated from the LCCTC in 2018 and has since traveled to New York to study at the Culinary Institute in America, worked in Savannah, Georgia, and then made it back to Lancaster, where he worked at Willow Valley Communities and the Lancaster Country Club before starting off on his own.

Justin Ilkanhoff stands next to his food truck

Traveling J’s has been operational since June, and Justin says the past six months have been all about flexibility and change to see what works best for his business. Over the summer, he regularly appeared at the Lancaster Warehouse District Beer Garden and did private and one-off events. As the weather turns cooler, he has pivoted to afternoons and evenings on Fridays at the Tanger Outlets, where visitors doing Holiday shopping can grab a bite to eat between stores.

Traveling J’s Harissa Fried Chicken Sandwich

Justin spent over a year deciding on his menu, doing research, and getting his truck ready to be a mobile kitchen. He decided on Middle Eastern food to share a part of his heritage with Lancaster residents. His menu includes mainstays like homemade falafel and Israeli salad but also incorporates Middle Eastern flavors with more American fare like the Middle Eastern Cheese Steak, Lamb Burger, or Harissa Fried Chicken Sandwich. Justin is unafraid to try new recipes, like his North African Haria soup, perfect for crisp, cool days.

Justin says his time at the CTC greatly influenced his career trajectory, starting at the Willow Street campus in the Introduction to Culinary class. There, Chef Brooks taught him there is a fine line between slow and perfect. He says that advice has stayed with him over the years and reminded him to keep moving and not be a perfectionist at the expense of his customers’ experience. When Justin moved onto the full-year program at Mount Joy, he said Chef Green was another great teacher who focused on teaching the elements of creating a dish vs. memorizing a recipe. Those elements provided the building blocks for a meal and allowed for experimentation and creativity. Prepping, cooking, and serving food at Mount Joy’s on-campus Infusion’s Restaurant gave Justin experience in a professional setting before even graduating high school and set him on the course of a career in food.

As an entrepreneur, Justin has an eye on all the pieces of his operation and is meticulously keeping track of what works and what may need tweaking in the future. He is excited to be a part of the food scene in Lancaster and connect with customers across the county. Justin loves traveling and hopes to continue to explore and taste the different cuisines around the world so that he can use those experiences as inspiration for more delicious items on the Traveling J’s menu.

If you are out shopping at the Tanger Outlets this Friday -11/24/23, you will Find Traveling J’s there from 10 am–9 pm. Check out the website for more details or to book Traveling J’s for your upcoming event!

In 2015, Kami Dugan was looking to pivot into a new career. Although she had successfully earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, she found it difficult to find a stable job where she could advance. Kami was working retail and teaching ESL part-time but was looking for a challenge and a career she was passionate about. After the ESL teaching program lost funding, she decided to make a change. Kami has always been interested in science and biology but knew she couldn’t afford to spend another four years to get a degree. The Practical Nursing Program at LCCTC offered Kami the perfect opportunity to gain licensure as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in 12 months while she worked part-time in the evenings.

Kami knew that being a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) was just the first step in her journey; she did some research and found that as an LPN, she could work for a company that would help fund her education as an RN while employed. Although her new path had a promising trajectory, Kami wasn’t sure if it would be a good fit until she started her classes in the PN program. Her experience at LCCTC solidified that she made the right choice. “This program was so life-changing for me. I knew this is where I wanted to end up.” Although the first part of her journey was not easy, the pace and rigorous academics proved to be the challenge she was looking for. Kami received her Practical Nursing diploma within a year, was named valedictorian, and earned a leadership award. Upon graduation and licensure, she was hired by Lancaster General Health.

Practical Nursing students in the classroom

From there, LGH funded her education at the Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences. Kami received credit from her LPN training at LCCTC towards her first year of RN training, and within a year, she received her RN. She then earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2019 and finally her Master of Science in Nursing Education in August of 2021. Throughout that time, Kami also worked full-time and gained experience in her field. While working towards her BSN, Kami came back to LCCTC to teach part-time. Upon graduating from her master’s program, a position opened up as the Assistant Director of the PN program at LCCTC. She was encouraged to apply and was then offered the job. However, she was torn because she enjoyed her LGH Hospital position.

Ultimately, Kami took the job at the CTC and described having the two opportunities as a gift. “I look back, and I was so blessed to have two great job opportunities; it’s a good predicament to be in, to love the culture, benefits, and being fulfilled [by both options].” She would not have been in this position if she hadn’t taken the leap into something new in 2015.

In 2023, Kami became the Director of the Practical Nursing Program at LCCTC. Since her promotion, Kami has already had quite a few accomplishments. The Health Sciences Campus is bustling with four cohorts of Practical Nursing students, which have grown to a total of 135 students. The latest NCLEX Pass rates for students following graduation are at 91.2%, a high percentage compared to other locations, and the program has added several clinical locations to their rotation to allow students to gain experience in areas including pediatric care, a medical-surgical unit, long-term care, and more. Kami’s perseverance and drive to reach her education and career goals have already transferred seamlessly to her new position, and we look forward to great things for the Practical Nursing program and its students!

Kami awarding graduating PN Student her diploma

If you or a loved one is interested in pivoting or furthering your healthcare career, see if the Practical Nursing Program Is for you! We offer full, or part-time programs to best fit your schedule. Our Open House will be held on November 14 from 5-7 PM at our Health Sciences Campus. For more information on our program, check out our website or e-mail ad********@**********tc.edu.

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