A VU student from Washington was among nine students to receive Indiana Career and Technical Education Awards for
Excellence.
Two Vincennes University programs and nine students
are the recipients of Indiana Career and Technical Education Awards for
Excellence. The awards were presented Feb. 26 at the Indiana Government
Center in Indianapolis.
Award for Excellence recipients include VU’s Precision Machining Technology
program and COPE Student Support Services. VU students earning awards
include Wade Berry, Huntington; Dakota Brooks, Corydon; Jamie Burns,
Indianapolis; Weston Hasenour, Birdseye; Ian Jarboe, Cannelton; Jessica
Marie Logsdon, Kentland; Sarah Swanson, Montpelier; and Matthew W. Young,
Washington. A Princeton Community High School student, Austin Stiles from
Patoka, who has received 22 credit hours from VU, also received an award.
The Indiana Career and Technical Education Awards for Excellence Program
was initiated in 1984 to recognize exemplary programs, students, and
partnerships that benefit the state. The program is supported by a grant
through the Indiana Department of Education and by contributions from the
Indiana Dept. of workforce Development, VU, Ivy Tech Community College, and
the Indiana Association of Career and Technical Education Districts.
VU PROGRAM AWARD RECIPIENTS
VU’s Precision Machining Technology program, under the direction of Scott
Wallace, associate professor, is nationally recognized by industry as the
premier program of its kind in the Midwest. The two-year program offers
students about six hours of classroom and laboratory experience per day.
The program’s Advisory Board includes industry leaders such as Cummins
Engine, Caterpillar, Toyota, Tri Aerospace, Hurco, and AFCO Racing. The
Precision Machining Job Fair annually attracts 40 to 50 potential employers
to Vincennes that offer more jobs than there are graduates.
Another award recipient, VU’s COPE Student Support Services, began in 1978
and serves first-generation, low income, and/or persons with a disability.
Students work closely with a COPE Academic Counselor until they graduate
and/or transfer. Among the multiple services they receive are career
counseling, mentoring, transfer assistance to four-year colleges, and study
skills strategies. Students identified as falling behind are provided
follow-up assistance.
VU STUDENT AWARD RECIPIENTS
Wade Berry is a Conservation Law Enforcement major at VU where he is
resident assistant, president of the VU Bass Club, vice president of the VU
National Wild Turkey Federation, and a member of the VU Law Enforcement
Association and Ducks Unlimited conservation group. He has completed two
summer internships in conservation. Berry’s goal is to become an Indiana
Conservation Officer.
Dakota Brooks is a Conservation Law Enforcement major at VU where he serves
as president of the LeaderCorps 21st Century Scholars, an officer in the VU
Wild Turkey Federation, and a member of the VU Student Government
Association. He has completed an internship with the Department of Natural
Resources. His career goal is to become an Indiana Conservation Officer.
Jamie Burns is an Aviation Maintenance major at VU’s Aviation Technology
Center in Indianapolis. A 20-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, his
instructors note that he is a role model for other students and has
excellent technical skills. His goal is become a professional in the
aviation maintenance industry.
Weston Hasenour is a Biomedical Electronics major at VU where is a tutor
resident assistant for VU Housing. He volunteers at St. Vincent de Paul’s
meal program, Good Samaritan Home and Rehabilitation Center, Humane
Society, and Food Bank. After graduating he plans to pursue a bachelor’s
degree at Purdue University and work in a hospital as a biomedical
technician.
Ian Jarboe is a Graphic Design major at VU where he is president of the VU
Graphic Design Club and a member of Alpha Phi Theta. He created a video
for St. Mark’s Church 150th Anniversary and teaches elementary school
students video editing. He also provided illustration editing and text
layout for a 2015 book, “Rob the Robin and the Bald Eagle.” He plans to
pursue a career as a designer while seeking a bachelor’s degree.
Jessica Logsdon is majoring in Restaurant and Food Service Management at VU
where she was student manager of the VU Blazer Car Show and tutors English
and mathematics. She also coordinated a concession stand that made almost
$1,000 for a Christmas gift fund for needy families. She plans to become a
restaurant manager.
Sarah Swanson is a Culinary Arts major at VU where she has earned a number
of certifications from the National Restaurant Association. Swanson
created a flavoring as part of a special project to add to a children’s
food supplement so they would eat it, which received positive reviews from
the Shriners Hospital. A line cook at Pea-Fections, a Vincennes
restaurant, her goal is to open a bakery-restaurant in a college town so
she can provide experience to Culinary Arts students.
Matthew Young is an Electronic Media-Emerging Media News major at VU where
he is employed by WVUT and WVUB public television and radio stations. He
is also an on-air anchor for the radio and television news and sports
broadcasts. His career goal is to work in television news and serve his
community by telling its stories.
In addition to the VU students, Austin Stiles, Patoka, received an Award
for Excellence after receiving 22 college credits in Precision Machining
from VU while enrolled at Princeton Community High School’s Precision
Machining program. He plans to enroll in VU’s Advanced Manufacturing
Technician Program where he will work at Toyota Motor Manufacturing,
Indiana, for two days each week while attending classes at VU three days
per week.