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May 20, 2021
LANSING – The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is pleased to announce that 65 high school and 10 college students statewide are recipients of the 2021 Breaking Traditions Awards.
Each of these students overcame obstacles and stereotypes to succeed in career and technical education (CTE) programs considered non-traditional for their gender. These students are ”breaking traditions” by pursuing careers in which fewer than 25 percent of persons working in that field are their gender.
“These 75 students overcame perceived barriers to achieve success in career and technical education programs that are nontraditional to their gender, which makes them role models for their peers who may be considering similar career paths,” said State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice.
“Michigan benefits from the Breaking Traditions Award recipients through an increasingly diverse workforce necessary to meet the challenges of a 21st century economy and to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dr. Rice said.
There are three levels of awards: Excellence, Merit, and Recognition. The highest secondary and post-secondary BTA winners received the excellence award, which includes a $500 scholarship from the Michigan Occupational Special Populations Association (MOSPA), an award plaque, a certificate, and a letter of recognition. Merit winners will receive an award plaque, a certificate, and a letter of recognition. Recognition winners will receive a certificate and letter of recognition.
Awards criteria included:
Applicants provided two letters of support and wrote a brief narrative explaining their career obstacles faced and key accomplishments.
MDE’s Office of CTE oversees high school instructional programs that teach students skills in a specific career cluster. Most programs offer early college credit opportunities to provide a seamless transition to post-secondary education. These programs support Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan guiding principle to provide students with access to high-quality instruction regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, economic status, native language, or physical, emotional, and cognitive abilities to close the student achievement and opportunity gaps that currently exist.
“The Breaking Traditions Awards extend beyond individual students. These awards also represent the quality of the school culture,” Dr. Brian Pyles, director of CTE at the Michigan Department of Education, said. “Clearly, these schools embrace an inclusive student focused instructional environment supported by staff, students and community.”
Award recipients are listed below in alphabetical order for each Breaking Traditions Awards category:
Michigan Breaking Traditions 2021 Excellence Award:
Post-secondary Level
Christopher Swanson
Ferris State University
Early Childhood Education Program
Secondary Level
Amanda Feeley
Petoskey High School
Engineering Drafting & Design
Michigan Breaking Traditions 2021 Merit Award:
Post-secondary Level
Hannah Price
Ferris State University
Construction Technology & Management Program
Matthew Frazzini
Ferris State University
Dental Hygiene Program
Victoria Hall
Ferris State University
Welding Technology Program
Secondary Level
Cody Veldhouse
Allegan County Area Technical and Education Center, Hopkins High School
Health Care Science Foundations Program
Kennedy Ellis
Alpena High School
Agriscience Program
Jennifer Ogden
Calhoun Area Career Center, Pennfield High School
Criminal Justice/Criminal Investigations Program
Daisy Leinberger
Bay Arenac ISD Career Center, Western High School
Agriculture and Natural Resources Program
Erika Terry
COOR ISD, Roscommon Area Public Schools
Public Safety Program
Cylee Hughes
Calhoun Area Career Center, Bellevue Jr./Sr. High School
Construction Technology Program
Allison Zwiker
Eaton RESA, Charlotte Public Schools
Computer Security Program
Ella Meyers
Traverse Bay Area ISD Career Tech Center
Power Equipment Technology Program
Matthew Williams
Traverse Bay Area ISD Career Tech Center
Allied Health Program
Andrea Booms
Huron Area Technical Center
Power Technology Program
Nicholas MacAlpine
Huron Area Technical Center
Health Science Program
Aurora Burton
Kalamazoo RESA
Aviation Technology Program
Miya Wolff
Lapeer Ed-Tech Center, Dryden Junior/Senior High School
CAD Program
Melissa Dardini
Center Line High School
Law Enforcement Program
Alyssa Fiantaco
Henry Ford II High School – Utica Community Schools
General Woodworking Program
Abigail Markel
Bay Arenac ISD Career Center, Midland High School
Welding Technology Program
London Eldridge
Montcalm Area Career Center, Central Montcalm High School
Agriscience Program
Chris Schaub
Newaygo County Career-Tech Center, Tri-County High School
Future Educators Program
Hailey Jones
Careerline Tech Center, Allendale High School
Public Safety and Security Services Program
Matthew Kieffer
New Lothrop High School
Education Program
Mariah Mellendorf
Tuscola Technology Center, Cass City Jr./Sr. High School
Computer Technology Program
Gracie Summerfield
Traverse Bay Area ISD Career Tech Center
Drafting and Design Program
Michigan Breaking Traditions 2021 Certificate of Recognition:
Postsecondary Level
Isaac Smith
Mott Community College
Occupational Therapy Assistant Program
Hunter Ruppe
Gogebic Community College
Nursing Program
Justin Hunt
Washtenaw Community College
Nursing Program
Timothy Guttman
Washtenaw Community College
Nursing Program
Sam Keim
Washtenaw Community College
Computer Science Program
Scott Stewart
Washtenaw Community College
Applied Science Child Development Program
Secondary Level
Hope Lambert
Allegan County Area Technical and Education Center, Allegan High School
Engineering Technologies Program
Kallie Crouch
Traverse Bay Area ISD Career Tech Center, Mancelona High School
Front Street Writers Program
Spencer Olds
Traverse Bay Area ISD Career Tech Center, Mancelona High School
Business Careers Program
Alayna Bernreuter
Bay Arenac ISD Career Center, Pinconning High School
Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Program
Shelby Taber
Branch Area Careers Center, Coldwater High School
Engineering CAD/CAM and Architecture Program
Emily Taylor
Glen Oaks Community College
Welding Program
Jassmine Warner
Clare-Gladwin RESD, Farwell High School
Culinary Arts Program
Alyssa Luzkow
Eaton RESA, Dewitt High School
Auto Technology Program
Lillyanne Laws
Eaton RESA, Maple Valley High School
Law Enforcement/Criminal Justice Program
Amaiya Lenear
Genesee Career Institute, Flushing High School
Welding Program
Isobel Bowker
Traverse Bay Area ISD Career Tech Center, Traverse City Central High School
Manufacturing Technology Academy Program
Caroline Clark
Traverse Bay Area ISD Career Tech Center, Kingsley High School
Culinary Arts Program
Maggie Schwabe
Traverse Bay Area ISD Career Tech Center, Grand Traverse Academy
Information Technology Program
Elyse Wejrowski
Traverse Bay Area ISD Career Tech Center, Traverse City Central High School
Welding & Fabrication Program
Madelyn Linzner
Tuscola Technology Center
Electronics Program
Haylee Goodall
Vicksburg High School
Mechatronics Program
Karley Way
Allegan County Area Technical and Education Center, Allegan High School
Engineering/Architectural Design Program
Cora Kirchofer
Traverse Bay Area ISD Career Tech Center, Kalkaska High School
Public Safety/Protective Services Program
Mia Ramos
Kent Career Technical Center, Sparta High School
Welding Technology Program
Dayana Torees-Duran
Kent Career Technical Center, Hope Academy
Cooking and Related Culinary Arts Program
Hannah Dashner
Traverse Bay Area ISD Career Tech Center, St. Mary Catholic High School
Agriscience and Natural Resources Program
Alaina Frank
Traverse Bay Area ISD Career Tech Center, Leland Public Schools
Construction Trades Program
Camryn Ihrke
Hartland High School
Computer Programmer Program
Nina Call
Warren Woods Tower High School
Cooking and Related Culinary Arts Program
Tamira Jackson
Fitzgerald High School – Fitzgerald Public Schools
Digital Media Production Program
Savannah Malloy
Lincoln High School – Van Dyke Public Schools
Culinary Arts Program
Kameron Karp
Marquette Senior High School
Health Occupations Program
Paige Ludwig
Newaygo County Career-Tech Center, Tri-County High School
Engineering Tech Program
Cole Stone
Montcalm Area Career Center, Carson City Crystal
Health Program
Ann Bogen
Newaygo County Career-Tech Center, Fremont High School
Automotive Program
Bianca Rickert
Newaygo County Career-Tech Center, Grant High School
Agriscience Program
Joshua Buckowing
Newaygo County Career-Tech Center, Newaygo High School
Business Applied Technology Program
Amelia Goltz
Newaygo County Career-Tech Center, Newaygo High School
Culinary Art Program
Farzeen Fazili
William D. Ford Career-Technical Center, Northville High School
Health Occupations Program
Mailee Hilkowski
Wexford-Missaukee Career Technical Center, Pine River Area Schools
Digital Media Production Program
Mayson Levandoski
Careerline Tech Center, West Ottawa North High School
Health Careers Phlebotomy Program
Liliana Rapp
Careerline Tech Center, Zeeland West High School
Mechatronics and Robotics Program
Madelyn Rinkevicz
Careerline Tech Center, Grand Haven High School
Software and Game Development Program
Aubrey Stroud
Tuscola Technology Center, Millington High School
Law Enforcement Program
Latavia Hall
William D. Ford Career-Technical Center, Belleville High School
Construction Technology Program
Elizabeth Guldner
William D. Ford Career-Technical Center, John Glenn High School
Architecture and Engineering Design 1 Program
Nicole Weber
William D. Ford Career-Technical Center, John Glenn High School
Electronics/Robotics Technology Program
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