Lehigh Career & Technical Institute celebrated Senior Recognition Night on May 30 at PPL Center in Allentown.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. | Lehigh Career & Technical Institute on Thursday (May 30) celebrated the Class of 2019 with Senior Recognition Night at PPL Center.

More than 2,000 people attended the annual ceremony and looked on as as approximately 500 seniors were presented with school-wide awards for outstanding achievement and certificates of recognition for their hard work in the school’s career and technical education programs.

Dylan Gino, a Marketing & Business Education senior from Catasauqua High School, and Nancy Eskander, a Dental Technology senior from Louis E. Dieruff High School, served as the evening’s co-emcees. CAP Health Occupations & Health Relations Technology senior Laury Gonzalez delivered the keynote address.

Gonzalez, a Dieruff student, said the teachers and programs at LCTI helped her figure out how to turn her passion for helping people into a profession. “It wasn’t until this last year that I even realized that being a paramedic was my destiny,” she said. “It was when I had the opportunity to attend an emergency medical responder program sponsored by LCTI where I learned that I can be the difference in my community.”

The ceremony also featured the Class of  2019 senior video and video messages of congratulations from the following public figures.

Pennsylvania Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development Eileen Cipriani

U.S. Rep. Susan Wild

Pennsylvania State Rep. Gary Day

Pennsylvania State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie

WFMZ-TV 69 News anchors Melanie Falcon & Joy Howe

Michaela Breslin, Culinary Arts/Emmaus High School, Alex Ocasio, Supply Chain Management & Logistics Technology/Parkland High School and Breanna Stalsitz, Marketing & Business Education/Southern Lehigh High School, led the Pledge of Allegiance. Caitlyn Herrold, Cosmetology/Emmaus High School, sang the national anthem. 

Andrew Briggs, an Advertising Design/Commercial Art senior from Parkland High School, designed the Senior Recognition Night 2019 Program Cover, which features snapshots of LCTI’s seniors.

Seventeen students who represent the crème de la crème of this year’s seniors were honored during the ceremony.

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The Outstanding Career & Technical Education Senior Award was presented to:

• Liliana Collazo, Auto Technology — William Allen High School
• Victoria Creswell, Dental Technology — Salisbury High School

This award is presented to two seniors, each of whom performs at the highest level technically and academically while practicing leadership, collaboration and creativity to meet both technical and academic goals.

The Outstanding Academic Center Senior Award was presented to:

• Margarita Castro, Culinary Arts — Parkland High School
• Tucker Wilson, Painting & Decorating — Catasauqua High School

This award is presented to two full-day seniors, each of whom performs at a high academic level, demonstrate the ability to build positive relationships with students and staff, consistently show professionalism during classroom activities and exhibit leadership in and out of the classroom.

The Outstanding Career Academy Program Senior Award was presented to:

• Dustin Gangale, Auto Body/Collision Repair Technology — Whitehall High School

This award is presented to a full-day senior who excels technically and academically while demonstrating a sense of community, fostering collaboration and practicing creativity both within and outside of the Career Academy Program.

The Career & Technical Student Organization Leadership Award was presented to:

• Nancy Eskander, Dental Technology/National Technical Honor Society — Louis E Dieruff High School

This award is presented to a senior CTSO officer who demonstrates the ability to preside over and motivate others toward goals that connect education and careers, encourage high academic and career and technical education achievement and develop the employability skills of students.

The Perfect Attendance Award was presented to:

• Julius Ariza, SOC Indoor/Outdoor Maintenance — William Allen High School
• Aryanna Caban, Culinary Arts — William Allen High School
• Ryan Correll, Plumbing & Heating — Parkland High School
• Jason Dejesus, Masonry — Louis E. Dieruff High School
• Jonathan Fink, Heavy Equipment Operations & Preventive Maintenance — Parkland High School
• Bryan Flete Montanez, Web Design/Web Programming — William Allen High School
• Hunter Steven Kuhns, Auto Technology — Northern Lehigh High School
• Matthew Martinez, SOC Supply Chain Management & Logistics Technology — William Allen High School
• Jose Ortega Urena, SOC Hospitality Services — William Allen High School
• Pandora Sanders, Computer & Networking Technology — Whitehall High School
• Luis Santos, Auto Technology — Louis E. Dieruff High School

This award is presented to seniors who have been in attendance every school day of the year with no tardiness or early departures.