Six from Ozarks Technical Community College earn state Breaking Traditions Awards

Five students and one instructor from Ozarks Technical Community College have earned top honors in Missouri’s annual Breaking Traditions Awards Competition, an event designed to honor students, faculty and staff, and employers involved with Breaking Traditions programs.  The competition celebrates outstanding students who are actively enrolled in non-traditional programs for their gender, as well as those who support career and technical education programs for non-traditional students.

The award winners from Ozarks Technical Community College are listed below. Each of the honorees and their nominators worked over a three-month period to complete the application process for the competition.  A panel of judges chooses winners from eight regions, and these finalists then compete for male and female secondary and postsecondary awards at the state level.

 

State Level:

Post Secondary/Adult Educator:  Cheryl Feller, Graphic Design Technology Instructor

Post Secondary/Adult Student, Female:  Christine Easterly, Diesel Technology

 

Regional Level (South Central Region):

Post-Secondary/Adult Student, Female:  Hannah Nickles, Auto Collision Repair Technology

Post-Secondary/Adult Student, Male:  Patrick Marriott, Culinary Arts

Secondary Student, Female:  Ashlyn Doss, Diesel Technology

Secondary Student, Male:  Sean Frey, Early Childhood Development

 

All state winners will be honored on April 23 at a ceremony in Jefferson City; regional winners will be recognized with plaques and certificates at their home schools.  Additionally, state winners will receive scholarship offers from every Missouri community college.  Scholarship amounts and guidelines vary, and are set by each school.

Operating under the umbrella of Missouri Center for Career Education, the Breaking Traditions program focuses on students who are considering or pursuing careers that are non-traditional for their gender.  The program provides information and guidance in the areas of career awareness, exploration, and planning, as well as specialized workshops and financial assistance to students who are enrolled in one of OTC’s career/technical programs.  Breaking Traditions also provides financial assistance for students who are displaced homemakers and/or single parents.