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News for students, families and friends | Winter 2026

A Shared Pursuit of Success

This time of year we often hear warnings about the "winter blues." At Career Tech, however, we are focused on a different theme: a season of achievement and celebration. While we work to keep spirits high with activities like the hot cocoa bar, the Leadership Luncheon, and our annual staff Euchre tournament, our greatest excitement comes from the pursuit, and often recognition, of excellence.

For the third consecutive year, a member of our staff has been named a state champion. We are proud to announce that Scott O’Dell, our third-year Aviation Maintenance teacher, has been named New Teacher of the Year by the Michigan Association of Career and Technical Education (Mi ACTE).

Mr. O’Dell joins Karmin Olds (2025 Counselor of the Year), and Jared Diephouse (2024 Teacher of the Year) as recent honorees. We celebrate Scott’s success, but we also recognize a larger truth – that these are not merely individual accolades. They are a testament to the high-quality work being done every day, in every classroom, across our entire school.

Looking ahead, we are eager to begin CTE Month. On February 3 and 4, we will open our doors to more than 1,800 sophomores from across our five-county region. These prospective students will spend two hours experiencing the daily life of a Career Tech student while visiting four different programs of their choosing.

We look forward to welcoming the next generation of students, just as we remain committed to the success of the students filling our halls today. It is this shared pursuit of excellence, in our staff and in our students, that makes this season truly worthwhile.

Respectfully,

Pat Lamb

Northwest Education Services

Career & Technical Education Assistant Superintendent

10th Graders Get a Sneak Peek at Career Tech

On February 3 and 4, Career Tech is welcoming hundreds of 10th grade students from area schools to tour our state-of-the-art facility and get a sneak peek at our 20+ programs. Prior to their visit, each student will select their four favorite programs to explore, helping them to decide whether to pursue enrollment at Career Tech for their junior and senior years.

From Agriscience to Welding and everything in between, there's a Career Tech program for everyone. Students and families may contact Career Tech's main office with questions at 231.922.6273.

Career Tech Enrollment How-To

Career Tech Pre-Registration Application

Beginning Feb. 3, students who would like to attend Career Tech may complete a Career Tech Pre-Registration Application for the 2026-2027 school year, which is located on the North Ed Career Tech website.

High School Counselor

Students who fill out the Career Tech Pre-Registration Application must also notify their local high school counselor that they are seeking Career Tech enrollment.

Notification

In May, local high school counselors will notify students whether they have secured a spot in a Career Tech program. New enrolled students will receive letters by mail in August inviting them to Career Tech orientations on Aug. 25 and 26, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Late enrollment will continue through mid-September for programs that still have openings at that time.

Questions

If students have questions about Career Tech enrollment, speak with a high school counselor or contact our Career Tech school counselors:

Barry Bialik, bbialik@NorthwestEd.org 

Karmin Olds, kolds@NorthwestEd.org

A Winning Pitch

A team of two students from our North Ed Film & New Media program are winners of the All-American High School Film Festival Pitch Contest. Riley Bockhol and Stuart Nottke created a short video, pitching their idea for a short film they would like to create for the All-American High School Film Fest. Riley and Stuart's pitch was chosen based on it's creativity, storytelling and ambition. As winners, they will receive a professional camera kit, which they will use to create their film that will air at the Film Festival held in New York City this October.

Writers Studio Spotlight

This year, several of our young authors from the North Ed Writers Studio have been recognized for their talent in local and national writing contests, proving that their voices are ready for the big stage.

The ink is barely dry, but we just received word from the Alliance for Young Artist & Writers that three Writers Studio students have received 2026 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards–a national honor celebrating outstanding creative work by teens. Since 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have honored some of the nation's most celebrated artists and writers while they were young teenagers, including Stephen King, Amanda Gorman, Andy Warhol, and Kay WalkingStick. Congratulations to the following Writers Studio students:

Althea Gaylord, Benzie Central High School - Honorable Mention for Personal Essay & Memoir; and Honorable Mention for Poetry

Addison Seivertson, TCAPS Central High School - Honorable Mention for Poetry

Katie George, Homeschooled - Honorable Mention for Poetry

From the local scene, the City Opera House invites regional high school students to submit an original one-act play to the Young Playwrights Page 2 Stage Lab. Finalists are awarded a cash prize and are paired with national theater mentors to refine their scripts and see their play performed live on stage. We are so proud of the following North Ed Career Tech students who were selected for three of six coveted Page 2 Stage finalist spots: Katie George, Homeschooled; Mailee McQuown, Northport; and Philip O'Hare, Homeschooled.

Last but not least, Mailee McQuown, selected as our North Ed Career Tech Champion for her writing talents in poetry, will be representing us at the Poetry Out Loud state finals in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan this March.

Congratulations to North Ed instructor Teresa Scollon and her students on their award-winning work!

Random Words of Kindness

The Voices Club at Career Tech kicked off their first school-wide activity with "Random Words of Kindness." Students had the opportunity to write supportive words to others in the school. The writer decided if they wanted to remain anonymous or not, whether they had someone specific to send the encouragement to or if they wanted their words to be given to someone in a specific program. Over one hundred words of kindness were distributed throughout the week. Voices Club members delivered the notes and were pleased to see the joy it brought to others. The club members are hard at work on their next school-wide project that will continue to focus on support for fellow students.

NTHS Applications Due Feb. 6

Check the National Technical Honor Society page of the Career Tech website for details about spring 2026 NTHS membership! Application window is open from Jan. 20 - Feb. 6.

Career Tech Scholarship Applications Due Feb. 25

Applications for Career Tech scholarships are due Feb. 25. For more information about the many scholarships available, visit the Scholarship section of the

Career Tech website.

Michigan Community College Guarantee

As seniors and their families start to finalize their post-graduation decisions, we wanted to share some new opportunities available to all North Ed Career Tech students at Northwestern Michigan College.

Northwestern Michigan College and the Michigan Community College Guarantee provides high school graduates living in Grand Traverse County free tuition at NMC, plus an additional $1,000 for students with higher financial need. In addition, this guarantee provides students in our surrounding counties (Leelanau, Antrim, Kalkaska and Benzie) reduced tuition at Northwestern Michigan College up to the amount of in-district tuition.

Northwestern Michigan College Career Tech Commitment. Through the generosity of the NMC Foundation, NMC has committed to provide North Ed Career Tech graduates, regardless of county of residence, full free tuition if they are eligible for a Pell grant at any level of qualification. Applicants must complete the FAFSA application to determine eligibility.

Please contact your program counselor for more information.

Career Fair Coming April 9

Career Tech will host its 2026 Career Fair on April 9, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

A variety of organizations will be there in an "expo" format to meet and potentially hire Career Tech students who are motivated to learn and work.

It is a great way for students to learn about climbing the employment ladder.

Career Tech and the Career Placement Services department is grateful to the businesses who support the future of the workforce. Organizations and businesses may register to participate in the Career Fair by March 20 or contact Keri Puffer at kpuffer@NorthwestEd.org for more information. There is no fee to participate.

Check the Student

Job Board

Did you know there are employment opportunities posted on the Career Tech website? Check it regularly for job postings in Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska and Leelanau counties. Current students and recent graduates are encouraged to apply. 

Northwest Education Services

Career Tech

880 Parsons Road, Traverse City, MI 49686

Tel. 231.922.6273 |  NorthwestEd.org