What’s happened:
In the past month, the Porter County Career and Technical Center (PCCTC) has been teeming with productivity.
One of these busy classes is the construction class. In the construction class, students learn both basic and advanced skills for the field such as electrical, carpentry, heating, air conditioning, painting, dry walling, interior finishes, and plumbing. Participants in the course are even eligible for dual credits at Ivy Tech Community College.
There is currently a new Boys & Girls Clubs location being built. The class has been observing the progress made every two weeks. This one-of-a-kind experience allows students to see the entire process from drywall to finishing touches.
“My favorite part about it is being exposed to actual work in general. I learn best when I see something like the Boys & Girls Clubs being built in front of me,” says Conner Williams, a construction student.
What’s coming up:
With the holidays coming up, winter break is fast approaching. Starting next week, December 13, students at PCCTC will be participating in holiday-themed spirit days.
“I love spirit days because I get to express myself freely and it’s a great way for everyone to come together,” says Senior Gwen Mathis, who is a first-year in the video production class.
The fun-filled week will start off with Christmas socks, and Tuesday will be ugly sweater day. The most important part of the week is Wednesday as students will bring in donations for the food pantry as it is the season of giving.
Last year, students brought in six-hundred pounds of food for the Hilltop Neighborhood House Food Pantry and Project 64, where volunteering occurs between 3 p.m. on Friday afternoon to 8 a.m. on Monday morning as there are 64 hours between this time. These hours can be devastating for food insecure children. Although the career center is not donating specifically to Project 64, students will be donating to the Hilltop Neighborhood House this year. The organization is especially seeking cereal, peanut butter, jelly, dish soap, and toothpaste at this time. To donate, visit hilltophouse.org. That same day, students will dress in festive pajamas.
Lastly, on Thursday, students will wear Christmas hats or headbands. I guess it is safe to say that the staff and students at PCCTC are jumping right into the Christmas season with the spirit of giving.
Teacher spotlight:
Bill Guinee is the Computer Aided Design and Animation Class (CAD) teacher at PCCTC.
Guinee graduated from Hobart High School and went on to Purdue Northwest (PNW) where he studied mechanical engineering technology. In the last decade, Guinee went on to further his education. To do this, he went back to PNW for a Master’s in Technology Instruction.
Guinee has been teaching at the career center for 19 years and has previously designed equipment such as conveyors for filling canned beverages and even medical equipment. However, it was when he taught night classes at South Suburban College in Ill. that he fell in love with teaching.
“My favorite part is just getting to hang out with the students,” says Guinee.
In the CAD class, students tackle three major categories that deal with mechanical design: parts,architecture, and animation.
However, his passion doesn’t stop at the end of the school day. Guinee also goes above and beyond by hosting a game club that meets after school on Tuesdays. Students from all classes get a chance to interact with their peers from different classes by playing board games, card games, and video games.
Student spotlight:
Emily Gurekovich is a compassionate junior in the health science I class at PCCTC. In the health science I class, students gradually learn the medical terms, anatomy, and physiology that coordinate with the 12 body systems. Gurekovich and her classmates have been certified in a plethora of skills such as CPR, stop the bleed, first aid, pet first aid, and pet CPR. Next semester, the class will even have the opportunity to job shadow health care professionals!
Gurekovich hopes to take what she learns in her class to become a psychiatrist, as her greatest passion is mental health.
“I see how important having a strong mental health is and I want that for everyone. I hope to one day be given the opportunity to help people with their mental health professionally, but as for now, I do my best to help people when they need it and always treat people with kindness, as you never know someone’s full story,” says Gurekovich.
She plans to achieve these goals by attending Purdue University and majoring in psychology with pre-med courses. Gurekovich strives to be the best in her field for the good of her future patients.
“I want nothing more than happiness and great quality of life for those who are struggling with their mental health,” says Gurekovich.