On Tuesday May 28, students from our Brownstown, Mount Joy, and Willow Street campuses were honored at our Certificates and Awards ceremonies. The night was an opportunity to celebrate the hard work and achievements of all of our graduating seniors. In total, students graduating from our secondary programs earned over $36,000 in scholarships and $23,000 in workforce grants given through the LCCT Foundation.

Upon graduation, 235  students have already earned hands-on professional experience in their chosen field through our Cooperative Education Program, working for 170 local companies during the school year. In that time our students have earned an impressive $823,464.00 in wages out on the job, gaining experience in their chosen fields.

Congratulations to all of our graduates for their hard work this school year! We can’t wait to see what you do as you embark on your new careers! Follow the link below for a comprehensive list of students recognized during Tuesday’s events.

LCCTC 2024 Certificates & Awards

Lancaster County Career & Technology Center has announced its Honor Roll for the fourth and final marking period of the 2023-24 school year.

Students named to the Honor Roll must maintain a grade of 90 or above.

Please click on the link below to view the list.

LCCTC 2023-2014 4th Marking Period Honor Roll Students

Congratulations to all of our Honor Roll Students!

Notice to Financial Aid Applicants

The Financial Aid office at the Lancaster County CTC is currently receiving processed FAFSA applications from the Department of Education. At this time students are able to make corrections and updates to their applications, but schools cannot. The Department of Education has not told us when the correction functionality will become available to schools.

The Department’s six-month backlog has put us in a position where we’ve now received hundreds of applications within a very short period of time. We are working hard to ensure that all students receive their financial aid offers in a timely manner and are asking for your help to assist us with moving this process along as quickly as possible.

We ask that each of you be responsive to all requests we make regarding your application. If we request something from you or identify something you must update on your application, please be sure to take care of it immediately so we can continue to move your application forward. We cannot make corrections for you at this time, so, your own unresponsiveness will result in a delayed offer of aid.

We also ask for your patience and understanding with our longer-than-usual response times to phone call and emails. Until we have the applications processed, we will not have the answers to your questions. So, processing must come first, and we cannot be processing applications while continually returning phone calls or responding to emails.

Our goal is to have all the applications we’ve received to date reviewed and offers sent to currently enrolled and accepted students within the next four to six weeks. Applications will be prioritized and processed based on each student’s program and/or upcoming term start date to ensure that student aid is in place for students for their training.

We greatly appreciate your patience during this time.

Sincerely

Debra A Woodcock

Director of Financial Aid

Dawson Zalegowski has always loved animals, but he described himself as unmotivated when it came to working toward career goals in High School. He didn’t connect the dots until a CTC representative visited his school. During that visit, he learned about the Vet Assistant Program at the Willow Street Campus. Dawson, who had attended Garden Spot High School, applied and got into the program for his Senior year.

In the Vet Assistant Program, students gain hands-on experience working with animals in the first week of school. They work on grooming, care, handling, and participate in live surgical clinics weekly as part of a professional veterinary team. This gives students an idea of the day-to-day operations in a vet clinic, from working with animals and their owners to practicing customer service and professional ethics. 

Dawson had fun his senior year in the Vet Assistant program but noted that the most significant advantage was getting a foot in the door for the co-op portion of the year. During this time, students can work paid internships in their field of study while also getting credit in their program. Although he did not stay with the clinic he worked with following graduation, he gained valuable experience and skipped having to cold-call vets and clinics looking for opportunities. 

Following his High School graduation in 2017, Dawson attended Wilson College in Chambersburg, which offers a 4-year Veterinary Nursing Degree. As a freshman, he also started working at Pine Creek Animal Hospital in Gap, where he has continued working during his summer and winter breaks. 

After graduating from Wilson College with his Bachelor’s, Dawson went on to St. Georges University in Grenada to seek his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine, and he is almost to the finish line! Dawson still has several clinical rotations ahead of him, finishing in 2025. He will return to Pine Creek Animal Hospital in May 2025 to complete his last externship, where he hopes to continue working after completing his program.  

After all of his studies, Dawson finds that the areas he enjoys the most are ophthalmology, oncology, and working with small exotics. He looks forward to working as a General Practice Veterinarian because “You get to see the animals grow, and you get to see the clients grow as pet owners.” Working in a local clinic will allow him to continue growing the relationships with clients he has worked with for the last six years at Pine Creek.

Dawson will be the second alum of the Veterinary Assistant program to earn his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. While many grads go on to work in the field, Dawson’s commitment to his studies kept him moving toward an advanced degree, which shows the wide variety of opportunities open to our Veterinary Assistant alums following graduation. We are proud that our programs inspired Dawson’s academic and professional careers, and we hope his success inspires future students! 

On April 3, 2024 LCCTC students traveled to Hershey, PA to compete with the best of the best from all around the state for SkillsUSA. On April 5 the competitions concluded with a closing ceremony where all of the winners were announced. 14 of our students placed in the competitions, with six first place winners! Whether they placed or not all of the LCCTC competitors and delegates were excellent representatives of our school, and we are proud of the work they put in.

A special thanks to our Faculty Advisors who were with our students every step of the way: Mr. Ecenrode and Mr. Myers from Brownstown, Mr. Smith and Mr. Green from Mount Joy and Mrs. Miller and Ms. Sprecher from Willow Street!

See a comprehensive list below for the LCCTC students who placed in their competitions:

First Place Winners

Cake Decorating-Andrew Herman (Garden Spot) & Alexandria Doster (Cocalico)
CTE demonstration (post secondary)-Erin Groff
Dental Assisting (post secondary) -Halie Adams
CPR First Aid – Brandon Balbuena-Rincon –(SDOL)
Photography-Simkha Groff – (Penn Manor)

Second Place Winners

Basic Healthcare -Cheyenne Helmick (Hempfield)
Cabinetmaking-Brayden Beck -(Manheim Township)
Dental Assisting-Ellie Martin (Lampeter-Strasburg)
Heavy Equipment -Bryce Johnson-Null (Cocalico)
Medical Assistant -Samantha Fawcett –(Penn Manor)
Welding -Aaron Cash – (Warwick)

Third Place Winners

Emergency Medical Technician -Meagan Shoultz (Warwick) and Jayden Horn (Elizabethtown)

On December 19th & 20th, over 70 students from our LCCTC campuses traveled to Reading -Muhlenberg CTC to compete in the Pennsylvania District SkillsUSA Competitions! Of those students, 52 placed, and 24 will head to the State Competition in Hershey, PA, in April!

Thank you to our dedicated LCCTC SkillsUSA Faculty Advisors who were with our students every step of the way: Dave Ecenrode, Brandon Green, Melody Miller, Brian Myers, Jim Smith & Rachel Sprecher.
Congratulations to our students on their outstanding performances. We can’t wait to cheer you on in April!

See a complete list below of students who placed in competition. 

 

First Place Winners:

Hallie Adams, Adult – Dental (Post-Secondary)
Olivia Armstrong, Conestoga Valley – Extemporaneous Speaking
Brandon Balbuena-Rincon, SDoL – First Aid/CPR
Carson Brubaker, Warwick – Welding Fabrication (team of 3)
Carter Buttes, Warwick -Carpentry
Aaron Cash, Warwick – Welding
Cheston Chapman, Solanco – Sheet Metal
Alexandra Doster, Cocalico – Cake Decorating (team of 2)
Samantha Fawcett, Penn Manor – Medical Assistant
Cheyenne Helmick, Hempfield – Basic Health Care
Andrew Herman, Manheim Twp. – Cake Decorating (team of 2)
Micah Hoffman, Hempfield – Fire Fighting
Evelyn Holden, Donegal – Culinary Arts
Jadin Horn, Elizabethtown – EMT
Ryan Hottenstein, Elizabethtown – Welding Fabrication (team of 3)
Madison Johns, Elizabethtown – Health Knowledge Bowl (team of 4)
Erin Groff, Adult – CTE Demonstration (Dental)
Matthew Groff, Conestoga Valley – Welding Fabrication (team of 3)
Ellie Martin, Lampeter-Strasburg – Dental (High School)
Madison Melnick, Manheim Central – Health Knowledge Bowl (team of 4)
Jacob Miller, Elizabethtown – Health Knowledge Bowl (team of 4)
Evan Oberholtzer, Cocalico – T-shirt Design
Kayla Phillips, Penn Manor – Action Skills (Vet Assistant)
Jaziel Rodriguez, Cocalico – Job Skills A
Janelle Schaeffer, Elizabethtown – Health Knowledge Bowl (team of 4)
Maegan Shoultz, Warwick – EMT (team of 2)

Second Place Winners:

Gabby Barbosa, Warwick – Job Interview
Brayden Beck, Manheim Twp – Cabinetry
Hunter Dearolf, Penn Manor – HVAC
Laurent Duvert, Ephrata – Ind. Motor Control
Gavin Gringnon, Manheim Twp. – Building Construction
Madelyn Houck, Penn Manor – Extemporaneous Speaking
Kenneth (Ezra) Hubik, Elanco- CNC Milling/Precision Machine
Domanic Mays, Hempfied – Architectural Drafting
Achilles Powers, Elizabethtown – Plumbing
Natalee Ruiz, Manheim Twp. – Prepared Speech
Calvin Thomas, Manheim Twp. – Web Design (team of 2)
Anthony Zerebilov, Manheim Twp. – Web Design (team of 2)

Third Place Winners: 

Edward Alexander, Penn Manor – Crime Scene – Protective Services (team of 3)
Jordan Curran, Ephrata – Nursing Assistant 
Cory Hackman, Ephrata – Motorcycle Service Tech
Sarah Hensley, Ephrata – Cake Decorating (team of 2)
Hope Horn, Homeschool – Cake Decorating (team of 2)
Jayven Keys, Lampeter-Strasburg – Welding
Dylan Kohl, Cocalico – Auto Refinishing 
Aaliyanna Labarrier, Conestoga Valley – Job Skill Demonstration A
Jayden Nye, Manheim Twp. – Collision Repair
AylaMojica, Hempfield – Commercial Art
Gavin Newswanger, Ephrata – EPH Electrical
Evan Peters, Warwick – Criminal Justice
Erika Sanchez, SDoL – Crime Scene – Protective Services (team of 3)
Mason Tippett, Hempfield – Crime Scene – Protective Services (team of 3)
Adam Wagner, Manheim Central – Carpentry

This week, representatives Ross Rodruan & Pat Bonner from Lancaster County Motors Subaru visited our Willow Street campus to present a $10,000 check to the Lancaster County Career & Technology Foundation to be used towards our Automotive programs!

This generous donation gives our students the opportunity to work on a variety of vehicles to build their experience and expertise.

During his visit, LCM Subaru Service Director Ross Rodruan explained how this donation continues Subaru’s mission for charitable giving. The cause is extra meaningful for LCM Subaru Shop Foreman Pat Bonner as he is an LCCTC Automotive Program alum. Pat spent his co-op at LCM and has built a career there 20 years later!

Thank you, Lancaster County Motors Subaru, for investing in our students’ futures by giving them the tools to succeed.

In accordance with Pennsylvania Act 55, the LCCTC has created a new enrollment policy to adhere to guidelines set by the state. Effective for the ’24-’25 School year, the new policy states that high interest LCCTC programs are to be filled with priority given to those students enrolled in our sending district schools. These programs include:

Full-Time Programs:
  • Automotive Technology
  • Baking & Pastry
  • Diesel Equipment Technology
  • Electrical Construction Technology
  • Heavy Equipment Operations & Basic Maintenance
  • Welding Technology
Half-Day Programs:
  • Introduction to Construction – Mount Joy
  • Introduction to Construction – Willow Street
  • Introduction to Culinary – Mount Joy
  • Introduction to Culinary – Willow Street
  • Introduction to Health Careers – Willow Street
  • Introduction to Manufacturing Careers – Willow Street
  • Introduction to Transportation Careers – Mount Joy
  • Introduction to Transportation Careers – Willow Street

For home-schooled students living in our sixteen sending districts, and interested in attending the CTC, this policy may also alleviate the number of steps involved in the admissions process. Following the enrollment guidelines, home-schooled students still must coordinate with a counselor with their sending districts when applying for programs at the LCCTC.

The LCCTC secondary Student Application will re-open Monday, November 6, 2023. Click HERE to learn more. For detailed instructions on the application process, see the video included below.

Adult Education Welding Instructor & Coordinator Don Tankesley

As the students filter into the Adult Welding Lab on Halloween, Welding Instructor & Program Coordinator, Don Tankelsey is sure to check in with every student, whether it is about a costume they wore to class, a change in hair color, or just asking how they are doing. With 36 students in total enrolled in short-term and long-term welding classes, it can get hectic, but Don is here for his students and to make sure they get to where they want to be in their future careers. As he rounds out his second year at the CTC, he says saying goodbye to his graduating classes in December will be tough, as he has mentored them and followed every step of their trajectory. However, he knows they are going on to successful careers. In fact, he mentions during his tenure that every student who has wanted a job following graduation has gotten one, a statistic he is proud of.

Don is an LCCTC graduate, graduating from the welding program at what was then known as the Willow Street Vo-Tech in 1981. That year, he took advantage of the cooperative education program and worked part-time at The Farfield Company in Lancaster, where he continued on for 30 more years. When Don came to Mount Joy in 2021, he brought nearly 40 years of welding experience to share with his students. Don feels his call to the CTC was to give back to his students what he learned from his instructors. Since his arrival, he has worked to improve the program and encouraged it’s growth. This change started with the welding lab, where every piece of equipment is up and running, and continued to the number of students, which has doubled in the past two years and continues to grow. Don also notes that now there are more female students enrolled in each of the welding classes, something that has been rare in a traditionally male-dominated field. He hopes this trend continues and more women seek to enter the trades.

Welding students at the CTC include those brushing up on their skills in short-term programs:

For long-term programs, students can enroll in Welding Technology and move on to Advanced Welding.

Not all students choose to take both long-term courses. Depending on the student’s goal, they can leave directly from the Welding Technology Welding course or hone their skills in more niche areas like specialty welding, sanitary pipe, structural steel, and more in Advanced Welding. Some students can even spend the end of their course on co-op, which allows them to work and earn wages in their field before finishing the program.

Advanced Wedling student, Carrie Cox

Carrie Cox, who is graduating from the Advanced Welding course in December, liked the program for the independence it allowed her; to learn at her own pace and start working hands-on right away. She decided to move on to the Advanced Welding course because she is looking for a position that requires more skill, and it felt like the natural next step. Don adds that Carrie is a phenomenal welder, and she will be a great asset wherever she chooses to go.

Charlie Frantz came to the CTC knowing he wanted to learn a trade, and the program fit well with his schedule. He has since moved from Basic Welding to Welding Technology and is planning to enroll in the advanced program in January. Charlie credits his interest and success in the program to his instructors. He says the care they put into teaching and mentoring is a great motivator.

Welding Technology student, Charlie Frantz
Welding Technology student, Charlie Frantz

Don notes that the students who enroll in the program at the CTC are highly motivated to either level up or start on the path to a new career in welding. If he can’t provide guidance, he can rely on his fellow instructors, Dick Bernhardt, Brian Naylor, and Andrew Huber. Don jokes that just with instructor Dick Bernhardt, they have over 100 years of welding experience. Don also worked with Naylor and Huber at Farfield, and Mr. Huber has field experience in Aerospace, Robotics, and underwater welding. This vast expanse of expertise gives students an idea of how their skills can be applied outside of the CTC and how they can land positions in the fields of their choice. Not only are the instructors helping with technical skills, but they are also imparting tips students can use in interviews, out on job sites, and more.

Regarding the Welding program’s future, Don has a few plans in the works. Along with increasing enrollment, he wants to add outdoor centers for the Advanced Welding students. One such center would include a pipe rack where students can cut, fit, and weld right in position to get a feel for what welding would be like in the field, where they may need to fit and weld into tight or awkward spaces while creating effective welds. Judging by Don’s work in just the past two years, we know that the program’s future is looking bright.

If you or a loved one is interested in enrolling in one of our short or long-term programs, new classes start in January! Visit our website to learn more or APPLY HERE.

 

Last week our LCCTC Secondary students met and spoke with potential employers in their fields at our Employer Engagement Fairs! Starting on Tuesday September 26, and running until the 28th, each fair brought representatives from local companies related to the centers at each campus. Dr. Susan Wienand, LCCTC Work-Based Learning & Outreach Coordinator organized the fairs to give students the opportunity to speak directly with employers earlier in the year as a motivator to help them reach the eligibility requirements necessary for Advanced Placement Internship (API) and Cooperative Education (Co-op) later in the school year.

The fairs were a resounding success, and we hope introducing students to representatives succeeding in their fields will encourage students to do their best during the school year and work towards their education goals. See a summary of the representatives who were present at each of our campuses below.

Brownstown -September 26

Abel Construction
Agriteer
Benchmark Construction
BR Kreider & Son
Brubacher Excavating
Brubaker, Inc.
Cassel Fleet Graphics
CH+N Site
Clark Service Group
Cocalico Plumbing & Heating
Dart Containers
DH Funk & Sons
ECI Group
Flow Mechanical
Galebach’s Floor Finishing
Garden Spot Mechanical
Graybill Service Group
Haller Enterprises
Home Climates
K & K Youndt
Keystone Trailer Services
New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co, Inc
NextEra Energy
Premier Custom Built
Pure Water Technology
QCCI
R Work Excavating
Ressler & Mateer
Sahd Metal Recycling
Sherwin Williams
Signature Custom Cabinetry
Stauffer Diesel
Stryten Energy
Tabora Painting
Temp Chek
TM Heating and Cooling
Turf Teq
Warfel Construction

Mount Joy -September 27

Advanced Food Products
Astro Machining
Benchmark Construction
ECI Group
Eden Resort
Galebach’s Floor Finishing
Garden Spot Village
Goodhart Sons, Inc.
Graybill’s Tool & Die, Inc.
Hershey Entertainment & Resorts
High Industries
Highland Tank
Ira G. Steffy
Keystone Trailer Services
KRB Machinery
Lezzer Lumber
Masonic Villages
MH EbyPremier Custom Built
Sahd Metal Recycling
Signal Machine Company
Spec Fab
Steps to Success, Inc.Stryten Energy
SWF Industrial
Warfel Construction
Weaver Construction
Weaver Industries
Willow Valley Communities
Zook Interiors

 

Willow Street -September 28

Adcock
Agriteer
Bergey’s Truck
Bobby Rahal Lexus
Calvary Fellowship Homes
Cassel Fleet Graphics
Faulkner Automotive
Garden Spot Village
Goodhart Sons, Inc.
High Industries
Keller Bros. Dodge
Keystone Trailer Services
KRB Machinery
Landis Homes
LCM Subaru
PowerPro Equipment
Providence Autos
Sam’s Mechanical Service
Stauffer Diesel
SWF Mechanical