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CTE ... cont’d.

Is it working? “We look for the results in the students themselves,” said Niebrugge, CTE specialist. “Many seniors have already secured jobs or enrolled in trade schools and are continuing the career path they discovered within CHS Industries. Only in its infancy, CHS Industries has provided so many opportunities for our students. We are just getting started and it is exciting to think of where we will be in the future.” One student, Parker Pounds, tells of the value of his experiences throughout his four years at Charleston High School in stating how “the A&M center was the place I would call home. From the teachers to the people, the A&M center was one of the main reasons I even showed up to school and was excited to go. I never enjoyed being stuck at a desk or learning something that was only a concept and was never

applied. I had to see it to understand or put it into action and the A&M center gave me that ability and showed me there is a world where I don’t sit behind a desk for the rest of my life.” Community support and partnerships are also vital to the program’s success. “None of this would be possible without the support of our Board of Education and the financial backing of the County Schools Facilities Tax and the Charleston Area Community Foundation,” said Vilardo. “This is a community that, while demographically diverse, has a collaborative culture—the benefits of which can be seen in the success of our youth.”

7 LM Summer 2024