Carbon Career's top = students rewarded

Carbon Career's top students rewarded

By CHRIS PARKER cparker@tnonline.com

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CHRIS=20 PARKER/TIMES NEWS Outstanding graduating students at Carbon Career = and=20 Technical Institute received awards at a ceremony Thursday. From = left to=20 right: Patricia Marko, Shannon Sostack, Jodiann Collier, Principal = Brent=20 Borzak, Paige Garner, Jessica Krum, Brett = Simmons.

Amid thunderous applause and a wistful tear or two, families and = friends of=20 outstanding Carbon Career and Technical Institute students looked on = proudly as=20 the young men and women accepted their awards at a ceremony held at the = school=20 Thursday.

Brett Simmons of Lehighton was chosen Valedictorian and Laura McGavin = of Jim=20 Thorpe Salutatorian. They will preside at the school's graduation, to be = held at=20 7 p.m. Wednesday at Jim Thorpe High School.

Among the students honored was Shannon Sostack, who has earned = $29,500 in=20 scholarships for the four years she expects to spend at Johnson and = Wales=20 University. Sostack, of Albrightsville, also won the $50 Howard Weir = Memorial=20 Award for school spirit; the David Argall Citizenship Award; Integrated=20 Marketing and Image Communications awards (a Wal-Mart gift card and = certificates=20 for obtaining certification in customer service and sales and service, a = certificate and plaque from DECA for a three-year membership, a plaque = for=20 serving as the school's DECA chapter president, a plaque for being the=20 outstanding marketing student of the year and $100).

She also received the National Marketing Education Award given by = DECA=20 national and a $200 award from the Carbon County Chamber of = Commerce.

Sostack also won a $1,000 Pennsylvania DECA award and a $500 = scholarship from=20 the organization. DECA awarded her a $3,500 a year scholarship and an = academic=20 scholarship of $3,500 a year.

In addition, she achieved an advanced rating on a retail trades test = given by=20 the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI).

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Carbon=20 Career and Technical Institute student Shannon Sostack, who earned = $29,500=20 in scholarship dollars, collects her awards at a ceremony held = Thursday at=20 the school.

Patricia Marko of Bowmanstown won a $500 award from the Palmerton = Concourse=20 Club; an achievement award from NOCTI for her advanced rating in graphic = design;=20 first place in the Skills USA Job Skills demonstration in the district=20 competition; a DECA award in graphic design and a certificate and = T-shirt from=20 the organization, and was honored by the National Vocational-Technical = Honor=20 Society.

Brett Simmons won $50 Howard Weir Memorial Award for school spirit; = was=20 honored by the National Vocational-Technical Honor Society; won = precision=20 machining technology awards of a tap-handle set from Tim Wiley of MSC = Industries=20 and a 6" digital vermier calipers and 16' Stanley tape measure from Tom = Robinson=20 of the Alfred Mazur Co.

Simmons also won the $500 Principal's Award, the $250 Craig S. Graver = Memorial Scholarship and $50 from the Carbon Career and Technical = Institute=20 Teacher's Memorial Fund. He also won first place in welding in the = Skills USA=20 district competition.

Paige Garner of Jim Thorpe won the $500 Dr. George P. Thomas Memorial = Scholarship; $500 from the Jim Thorpe Rotary Club; a certificate and = T-shirt for=20 completing 105 hours in the school's nursing program and an achievement = award=20 from NOCTI for her advanced rating in nursing assisting. She will = graduate with=20 a Certified Nursing Assistant certificate.

Jodiann Collier of Jim Thorpe won the David Argall Citizenship Award; = $50=20 from the Tommy Burke Co. for perfect attendance; an achievement award = from NOCTI=20 for her advanced rating in Culinary Arts Cook Level 2.

Jessica Krum of Kunkletown won the $500 Gnaden Huetten Auxiliary = Scholarship=20 Award; recognition for completing 105 hours in the nursing program, and = an=20 achievement award from NOCTI for her advanced rating in Nursing = Assisting. She=20 will graduate with a Certified Nursing Assistant certificate.

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