Maryland Students Win ACTE National Student Trophy Design Contest
Students of Centennial High School Win National Award
Alexandria, VA – Today, the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) announced the team of Ayush Ghosh and James Li from Centennial High School in Ellicott City, Maryland. as the national student trophy design winners in its ninth annual student trophy design contest. They are taught by Nancy Smith, an instructor at Centennial High School. The contest is sponsored by ACTE and Stratasys, Ltd., a manufacturer of 3D printers and production systems.
Since 1954, ACTE has awarded those who have made exemplary contributions in the field of career and technical education (CTE). The student trophy design contest is a competition for students to design the 3D trophy for the ACTE Excellence Awards. The winning trophy design will be 3D-printed by Stratasys and presented to the 10 national award winners at the 2024 ACTE Awards Gala in conjunction with ACTE’s CareerTech VISION. This year’s gala will be held December 4 at 7 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas. Ayush and James’s submission was selected by ACTE’s Board of Directors out of entries from students all across the country. In addition to having their design used to create this year’s trophies, Ayush and James will receive a $1,000 scholarship and Centennial High School will receive a free one-year lease of a 3D printer, courtesy of Stratasys, Ltd.
Ayush and James, both seniors at Centennial High School, share a strong passion for STEM and aspire to pursue careers in the field. Their journey in STEM began in their freshman year of high school when they were determined to share their love of STEM with the community and founded the school’s first Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Club.
Through their club, James and Ayush not only taught their peers the intricacies of Computer-Aided Design, they also organized outreach events with undergraduate students at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Eager to extend their impact to younger students, Ayush and James also launched an initiative at the local library to teach elementary and middle school students CAD and 3D printing. It proved to be a resounding success and taught students all around the county the fundamentals of CAD.
Beyond their community engagement, both James and Ayush excel academically and in extracurricular pursuits. James, with a keen interest in computer engineering, has taken numerous advanced computer-oriented classes. Outside the classroom, some of his hobbies include building robots and running his 3D designing business which he started in elementary school. Ayush, on the other hand, is focused on becoming a mechanical engineer and hasenrolled in Project Lead the Way classes throughout high school. Some of his hobbies include playing soccer and eating with his friends. The opportunity to design a trophy for ACTE allowed them to further pursue their interest in STEM, without limitations on their creativity. Ayush and James have their eyes set on top engineering institutions where they hope to change the world positively while pursuing their passion for STEM.
“The Student Trophy Design Contest has successfully helped promote CTE classrooms across the country for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, engineers and more,” said ACTE Executive Director LeAnn Curry. “Ayush and James’ outstanding achievements, and their passion for CTE, are further evidence of the critical role high-quality CTE plays in maintaining and growing America’s role in the global economy. We are so proud of Ayush and James and their accomplishments, and we are honored to have them as public ambassadors for all that today’s CTE has to offer.”
Jesse Roitenberg, Stratasys Americas Director of Education shared his thoughts on the contest over the years, “Stratasys is pleased to partner with ACTE to create this contest for the students. It is clear that the educators are doing an outstanding job immersing the students in Additive Manufacturing and Computer Aided Drafting. The trophy entries we have judged over the past nine years are phenomenally designed and could not be created by any other manufacturing process.”
Ayush and James, ACTE and Stratasys are available for interviews upon request. Ayush and James’ trophy design and headshot (courtesy Ayush and James) are included.
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About ACTE: The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is the nation’s largest not-for-profit association committed to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers. ACTE represents the community of CTE professionals, including educators, administrators, researchers, school counselors, guidance and career development professionals and others at all levels of education. ACTE is committed to excellence in providing advocacy, public awareness and access to resources, professional development and leadership opportunities.
Dave Gardner, a seasoned CTE educator and leader, has significantly shaped Utah’s educational landscape. In the past seven years, Gardner has successfully collaborated with Utah Tech University in achieving the state’s highest combined year-over-year growth rate in the state’s higher education concurrent enrollment program. He also led one of the first districts to implement Utah’s K-12 Computer Science Initiative and built one of the state’s largest E-sports programs. For his efforts, he was awarded the State Office of Education’s 2017 Excellence in Action Award for career development innovation.
Nick Lebo is a graduate of the University of Texas in Austin, where he earned both his bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in education in Sport Management. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Kelsey, and they have three amazing children: Lyla, Lily, and Shepherd. Nick is entering his fourteenth year of teaching and coaching in Austin ISD. He is currently the CTE Department Chair, Business Teacher, and Head Golf Coach at Austin High.
Chris Edgar has been a dedicated advocate for Career and Technical Education (CTE) for nearly a decade, combining his extensive background in law enforcement with a passion for teaching the next generation of professionals. As an instructor at Lake Career and Technical Center (LCTC), Chris has developed and led innovative programs in law enforcement and crime scene investigations. His goal is to provide students with hands-on learning opportunities that prepare them for careers in criminal justice while fostering a positive perception of law enforcement in their communities.
Jason Van Nus is the Director of Work-Based Learning (WBL) and Youth Apprenticeship (YA) Programs for Lowndes County Schools in Valdosta, Georgia. With over 20 years of experience in Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE), Jason has become an expert in various instructional areas, including Business Education, Graphic Communication, and Work-Based Learning. His journey into education began as a way to stay connected to sports, but it soon evolved into a deep commitment to his students and their success.
Jared’s dedication and passion for his students have made his program one of the most sought-after at Northwest Education Services. His classes consistently have a waitlist, driven by the positive word-of-mouth from current students to prospective ones. Underclassmen, parents, and alumni often express a strong desire to see firsthand what is happening in the Power Equipment program, even if their personal ambitions lie elsewhere.
LTC Scott Caldwell has served as the Director of JROTC for the Washoe County School District since 2018. A retired Army officer with 30 years of distinguished service, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Aero Technology from Bowling Green State University and a master’s degree in international relations from Troy University. Before transitioning to his current role, his final military assignment was as the Professor of Military Science and Department Chair for the Senior ROTC Program at Florida Tech. He later spent six years as the Senior Army Instructor at Ft. Pierce Westwood High School in Ft. Pierce, Florida.
April Blackwell has been an integral part of the Northeast Tech team since 2011, and since 2019, she has served as the Instructional Services Director. As the first person to hold this pivotal position, April has been instrumental in building the department from the ground up. Under her leadership, she has expanded her team to include four instructional coordinators, one for each campus, ensuring comprehensive support across the district.
