Sanford Regional Technical Center held its annual Celebrating Partnerships event on Wednesday, March 19th. The gathering brought together local business partners, educators, and students to highlight successful individual program advisory councils, internships and strengthen community connections.
SRTC Director Matt Petermann welcomed attendees, expressing his gratitude for their support and emphasizing the importance of community partnerships for student success. Sally Quarles, SRTC's Career Aspirations and ELO Coordinator, then introduced herself and explained her role in coordinating internships, apprenticeships, and extended learning opportunities.
"I'm happy to be here. This is my very first year, my very first celebrating partnerships," Quarles shared. "I just want to say thank you very much for all your time and effort and everything that you do for our students here at SRTC."
A highlight of the evening was a student panel, which included Brianna Burby, Brian Graffam, Izzy Enos, Hannah Morgan, Deanna Watson, Alex Seebeck, Connor Rice, Natalie Green, Spencer Jourdain, and Kadden Veilleux, who all shared their experiences in their respective programs. Veilleux, a Health Occupations senior, revealed his inspiration: "I want to learn how to help people," he said. "I've learned a lot from the program and even work at Pinnacle Health and Rehab in town."
Rice from the Academy of Business explained how his passion for music guided his educational choices: "I wanted to learn more about business and managing my own company eventually. This class has really taught me how to become an entrepreneur, managing finances, marketing and how to promote myself."
Many of the students on the panel participated in the SkillsUSA competition for the first time. A notable achievement was highlighted during the event when Digital Design student Watson was recognized for creating the entire branding and marketing materials for Skills USA.
Before and after the panel discussion, representatives from local businesses networked and mingled throughout the venue, exchanging ideas and exploring potential partnerships with SRTC programs. Among these business representatives was Matt Cote, Quality Manager for Casco Bay and parent of a welding program student.
Cote has attended the event for years, even bringing his son when he was younger: "I've always invited him if he wanted to come with me," Cote said. "Now that he's in a program, he wants to come. Yeah, absolutely, he's engaged."
The event showcased how SRTC's programs prepare students for real-world careers through hands-on learning. Program advisory committees, composed of local business professionals, ensure curriculum remains relevant to today's workforce needs.
After the panel discussion, Program Advisory Committee members met with instructors while new community members toured SRTC facilities.