This article is part of Concentrate's Voices of Youth series, which features stories written by Washtenaw County youth with guidance from Concentrate staff mentors, as well as adult-written stories spotlighting local youth perspective. In this installment, adult writer Jaishree Drepaul talks to three local career and technical education (CTE) students about their professional achievements.

In Washtenaw County, more youth are discovering the power of career and technical education (CTE) programs. CTE prepares students for specific careers by offering practical learning experiences across diverse fields like skilled trades, technology, culinary arts, and engineering. Unlike traditional academic paths, CTE focuses on developing industry-relevant skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities through active, engaging programs. 

"CTE students are intentional, super-curious, and enjoy learning in a way that's more active and more hands-on," says Eric Jackson, coordinator of career technical education and work-based learning at Washtenaw Intermediate School District. "They are lifelong learners who want to learn in a different way."
courtesy Eric JacksonWashtenaw Intermediate School District CTE coordinator Eric Jackson.
Jackson says CTE teachers are more than instructors; they are mentors, industry translators, and career architects who transform education into "a powerful, empowering experience for students."

"Students have access to some really super-talented people and just feed off their enthusiasm. And there's nothing like a great mentor to reinforce what you're about, right?" Jackson says. "If you go into any CTE program in the county you'll see powerhouse humans, whether they're students or instructors."

We talked to three of those powerhouse students about the impact of getting ready for the professional real world under the guidance of world-class teachers. 

Jayden Canter: Aspiring apparel entrepreneur

CTE training has been a game-changer for Jayden Canter's entrepreneurial dreams. The 17-year-old Whitmore Lake High School student first heard about a CTE graphic design class from his older sister. She had taken the class previously and told Canter about it when he became interested in designing basketball jerseys.

"I want to make stuff for celebrities. But right now, if I could design a hoodie for anyone, I'd make one for my sister," Canter says. "I want to show her that I've succeeded because she recommended CTE. The class has made me realize that I can do anything that I want to."

Each hour-long session of Canter's class primarily consists of hands-on learning. Practical design and business skills – such as text sizing, pressing techniques, and design creation – are just some of the things he's been diving into. 

"If we are making our shirts or hoodies or sweatshirts, we make the design on a specific app. Once the design is finished and approved, we print it out," he says. "Then we can just press the shirt, or we put it on vinyl and we cut out the outside of the letters or the pictures. After we do that, we press it on top of the shirt."

Canter feels proud that his growing skillset is making a difference in the wider Whitmore Lake community. His class makes meaningful, locally-inspired merchandise that represents his town (such as a current project focusing on Whitmore Lake itself) for anyone interested in "repping" the area.
Doug CoombeWhitmore Lake High School student Jayden Canter.
"Finding out that I have the ability to accomplish something has been good for me. I had no clue I was so capable," Canter says. "I love it. It's been like 24/7 learning and a bit challenging. But if you love it enough, like I do, the challenging part is the most fun." 

He admits that he was slightly nervous when he first started his class. Canter credits his instructor, Jen Taylor, with the support he's needed to be successful. 

"Her classroom is where students feel comfortable making mistakes and learning from them. She even finds ways to help people who don't want to admit they need help," he says. "Mrs. Taylor understands how to teach different people in different ways. She's made me want to succeed even more."

Early on, Taylor gave Canter good advice that he says impacted him in many ways.

"It was something simple, like 'take your time,' because I used to be a big rush-into-things person," he says. "She showed me that if I don't make sure that my product ... is just what I want it to be, then I'm not even gonna like it as much."

Canter feels strongly that CTE classes are perfect for people like him who need "a different type of learning experience."
Doug CoombeWhitmore Lake High School student Jayden Canter.
"Some students can't just be handed a piece of paper, ... read it, and then they just automatically know what's happening," he says. "They need the visual learning, and the opportunity to actually do the work that is on the piece of paper."

Canter's endgame is to work with major sports teams or corporations. He's confident CTE has given him an important push toward this personal finish line.

"I guarantee there's people who didn't want to go to college, who just took a chance on a CTE class and realized, 'Wow, this is actually something I want to do,' and then ended up getting employed by big companies," he says. "And I guarantee that in the future there will definitely be a statistic where kids who took CTE are better employed than kids that just took regular classes."

Canter says that if a student tries a CTE class and doesn't like it, they "don't lose anything."

"You tried something new, and even that alone helps with your future success," he says.

Ashley Malinczak: Certified nursing assistant at age 17

Ashley Malinczak, a student at Saline High School, has taken multiple CTE programs that she says have given her "a leg up" on her future. Working as a nurse for the Detroit Lions tops her list of dream jobs, and she's already well on her way to achieving that goal. Thanks to CTE classes, she'll soon be a certified nursing assistant (CNA) at just 17 years old.

"I don't think it's an opportunity that's easy to come by for a lot of people," she says. "It's training you'd usually have to take after high school, so I think it's really cool that I can get certified at my age."

Malinczak says she isn't worried about passing the CNA test, as her instructor, Dawn Welt, has prepared her well.

"She's taught me important technical things and also other things, like how to really create a good connection with patients," Malinczak says. "One thing she went over is being on time for your responsibilities. She said you always want to be 15 minutes ahead. I apply that advice to my life in general now."
Doug CoombeSaline High School student Ashley Malinczak.
Malinczak's interest in health care began in her junior year, when she took an exercise science class, and continued with a senior-year nursing-based health sciences class. She says she's found CTE more impactful than traditional Advanced Placement classes because it's brought her "face-to-face with what a job is really like." 

Malinczak highlights the benefits of hands-on learning experiences. For instance, her health sciences classroom currently has three hospital beds set up to look exactly like a real hospital environment. She's also been gaining skills and knowledge from working with patients at the nearby Saline Evangelical Home, a long-term elder care facility.

"I get to work with CNAs and all the different staff members to get an idea of what I can expect," Malinczak says. "Being able to have this experience before I even apply for nursing school will definitely help me in the long run."
Doug CoombeSaline High School student Ashley Malinczak.
She adds that the opportunity to make more informed decisions about her future before investing time and money in college or training has been meaningful.

"There's a lot of stuff that I have had to do at the nursing home that some high school students would probably never, ever want to do," Malinczak says. "I think CTE really puts careers into perspective. It tells you if you're capable of doing it or not."

Having also taken classes in other CTE tracks (such as marketing), Malinczak feels that she is ready, willing, and able to pursue a health care career.

"I discovered that I absolutely love it and know that it's right for me," she says. 

Jupiter Gergics: History-making champion carpenter

In just eight months, 17-year-old Jupiter Gergics has gone from not knowing how to read a tape measure, or properly swing a hammer, to winning several carpentry competitions. Gergics, a student at Ann Arbor's Community High School, is a member of the Ann Arbor Student Building Industry Program, in which CTE students build an entire house.

In December, Gergics took first place in the A2 Invitational Carpentry Competition in Saline. In February, she took second place in the SkillsUSA Regional Competition for Region 2 - West, which includes Washtenaw County. In April, she received the gold medal in SkillsUSA's state carpentry competition, which means she'll proceed to compete at SkillsUSA's national conference in Atlanta in June.

Gergics' most recent win is particularly significant. She is Michigan's first non-male state champion in the competition's entire 60-year history. 

"I carry with that a lot of pride because I've only had the skills for eight months," Gergics says. "I've been taught very well, so I know the methods for things. I know the best ways and the fastest ways and the easiest ways."
Doug CoombeAnn Arbor Community High School student Jupiter Gergics.
She shares that learning from CTE instructors such as Mark Valchine, the Ann Arbor Student Building Industry Program's home building instructor, has been invaluable. He's taught her to ask questions, but also to not overthink things.

"I can get really focused on trying to make one specific part of something very, very good, but sometimes that time would be more valuable spent in other places," Gergics says. "That's something I need to think about not just in competitions, but in the rest of my life."

Gergics, who is considering a career in mechanical engineering, first heard about the Ann Arbor Student Building Industry Program from a Community High classmate. She was intrigued to learn that students build a house each school year. 

"I thought it sounded really cool because I'm always curious about how things work. I always have been," she says. "I'm always wanting to know the nitty-gritty details and am asking questions."

Gergics recalls that things "got real" from the moment she stepped into the class for the first time last year. 
Doug CoombeAnn Arbor Community High School student Jupiter Gergics.
"We just sat down and talked about what to expect. Then it hit me," she says. "I was like, 'Oh, I'm gonna build a house with these kids and these dudes. There's a dirt clod outside that window. There's nothing. It's just grass and rocks. And in a year, there's going to be a house there.'"

Today, a house is indeed there. The class is currently working on trim and siding for the house, which will be completed by the end of June.  

"We've done the foundation, the flooring system, the interior and exterior walls, all the HVAC, plumbing, electrical, drywall, painting, and the finish work, like kitchen and bathroom cabinets," Gergics says. "It was really exciting once we started actually seeing things happen. Every day there's something new to learn and see and try."

Going forward, Gergics says she's going to try her best at the upcoming competition in June. Whatever the outcome, she knows she's already a winner.

"I've had really good opportunities and I've made wonderful friends. I've seen how much dedicated work goes into things and experienced so much," she says. "It's been fun and I've learned a lot. I guess I'll shoot my shot in June and see what happens next."