A+IT student builds pizza box computer

High school students love pizza and love their computers.  Hickman junior Anthony Brewer put two of his favorite things together and built a pizza box computer. Brewer, who takes David Hopkins' A+IT class where students learn about computer hardware, used a Dominos' pizza box to house the computer components and make it portable. He attached it to a keyboard, mouse and monitor to demonstrate that it really works. Kudos, Anthony!

The computer is housed in a Dominos pizza box

                                      Anthony Brewer demonstrates his "Pizza Box" computer

21 Marketing Students Qualify for DECA International Competition

Pete Eichholz, Anne Hickman and Scott Fuenfhausen, DECA Advisors for Columbia Area Career Center, are proud to announce the results of the DECA State competition held at Lodge of the Four Seasons at the Lake of the Ozarks, March 15-17. More than 1,750 students from around the state of Missouri competed in the three day event. DECA members from Battle, Hickman and Rock Bridge DECA chapters were represented. 

The following students finished in the top of their categories to earn a spot at the DECA International Career Development Conference which will be held in Orlando, Florida in April.

Human Resource Management

6th place:  Lily Burns (Hickman)

Hotel & Lodging Management

3rd place: Betsy Poehlman (RB)

Sports & Entertainment Marketing (individual series)

3rd place:  Gareth Greenwell (Hickman)

Quick Serve Restaurant Management

1st place:  Andrew Ricks (Christian Fellowship)

Principles of Hospitality & Tourism

2nd place:  Ana Tager (Hickman)

Team Management Events

Business Law & Ethics

2nd place:  Brett Norton & Peyton Tettleton (Hickman)

Buying & Merchandising

1st place:  Lauren Forest & Maddy Towns (RB)

4th place:  McKenzie Harris& Eden Bartok (Hickman)

Hospitality Services

6th place:  Elliot Bones & Paul Kindling (RB)

Sports & Entertainment (team)

1st place: Carson England & Eric Kuse

3rd place:  Andrew Wooldridge & Matt Eichelmeier

Marketing Communications

3rd place:  Charlie Dranginis & Sam Baugher (Hickman)

Leadership Delegate:

Brooklyn Hill (RB)

District 2 Vice President/Missouri State Action Team

Madison McDonnell

Medalists but do not qualify for nationals

Apparel & Accessories Marketing

Becca Wagner (Hickman)

Automotive Services

Austin Schiefer (Christian Fellowship)

Business Finance

Jack Rentschler (RB)

Principles of Finance

Mariah Murphy (RB)

Financial Analysis

Tanner Lawrence Daniel Veros (Hickman)

Hospitality Services

Sam Hoyt & Aubrey Jaco

Travel & Tourism

1st place:  Maddie Gilmore & Kay Frymire (Hickman)

Marketing Communications

Matasen Chambers & Caitlin Price (Hickman)

The DECA competition is divided into two parts.  Students first take an exam which tests basic marketing knowledge. The second portion of the competition is "role play" where students are given a marketing ituation in which they must develop a solution and then present that solution to a judge who rates their solution. The final score is a combination of the two parts.

Career and Technical Students of the Year named

Columbia Area Career Center seniors Michelle Algya, Digital Media (Heritage Academy), Madison McDonnell, Marketing (Rock Bridge High School), Andrew Mott, Agriculture (Hickman High School), Nicholas Putting, Computer Programming (Hallsville High School) and Nicholas Voney, Construction Technology (Battle High School) have been named Northeast/Central Missouri Region Career and Technical (CTE) Exceptional Students of the Year. They were selected from among all candidates nominated by public Missouri Career and Technology Centers throughout Northeast and Central Missouri.

The CTE Regional Student of the Year award process recognizes outstanding career and technical students for proven commitment to academics, career path, and community.  The purpose is to commend outstanding regional CTE students who are pacesetters in their classes, student organizations, communities and who exhibit personal character.

Career and Technical Education programs of study integrate a rigorous combination of academic and applied technical courses with real-world application, preparing students for college as well as successful careers in high skill, high-wage occupations.

Michelle Algya will attend Southwest Baptist University next year to complete a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Web Systems and Design and Intercultural Studies; Madison McDonnell will attend the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville to complete a bachelor’s degree in Marketing; Andrew Mott will attend the University of Missouri-Columbia to complete a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education; Nicholas Putting will attend Missouri University of Science and Technology  to complete a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science; and Nicholas Voney will attend the University of Central Missouri to complete a bachelor’s degree in Construction Management. The students were recognized at a ceremony on the Moberly Area Community College campus on March 6, 2015.

Sharon Nelson, Michelle Algya, Andy Mott, Nick Putting, Nick Voney, Rebecca Pisano and Mark Chambers

Construction Tech instructor, Eric Radmer and Nick Voney

Andy Mott and Ag Instructor, Chuck Miller

Columbia Area Career Center Students win NCWIT computing awards

Columbia Area Career Center (CACC) Web Design/Graphic Design student Michelle Algya (Heritage Academy) received the 2015 St. Louis and Southern Illinois Regional NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing from the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT). She was also named a national runner-up in the competition. 

Columbia Area Career Center Geospatial Information Science student Allyssa Johnson (Southern Boone High School) and Computer Programming student Katherine Lydon (Rock Bridge High School) received recognition in the same competition.

The CACC students are three of only 23 young women to receive the award throughout high schools across the St. Louis and Southern Illinois region. Nominated by their instructors, they were selected for their demonstrated, outstanding aptitude and interest in information technology and computing, solid leadership ability, excellent academic history and plans for post-secondary education. They were honored at an awards ceremony earlier this month at the Millennium Center on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus.

The award, sponsored by Bank of America, Bloomberg, Microsoft, Intel and the National Center for Women & Information Technology with local Missouri sponsors including the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Monsanto and the Missouri University of Science and Technology, recognizes young high school women for their computing-related achievements and interests in an effort to encourage more young women to choose careers in technology.

The National Center for Women & Information Technology is a non-profit coalition of over 450 prominent corporations, academic institutions, government agencies and nonprofits working to improve U.S. innovation, competitiveness, and workforce sustainability by increasing women’s participation in Information Technology. NCWIT’s work spans K-12 and higher education through industry and academic careers. 

Michelle Algya

Alyssa Johnson

                                                          

Cake Decorating Artist visits Baking and Pastry Class

Nationally acclaimed cake decorator Edith Hall visited Carri Risner's Baking and Pastry classes to demonstrate her professional skills in cake decorating. Hall, a long time friend of the career center and Hallsville native brings her expertise to the classroom each year during the cake decorating unit to inspire students and demonstrate innovative ideas in the world of cake decorating.

Edith Hall demonstrates rolling out  gum paste

Gum paste flowers 

making an imprint in a gum paste label

The finished product

Student receives news of West Point Appointment during career center class

Congratulations to Graham  Ratterman  for receiving an appointment to West Point,  the United States Army Academy. Graham was in Brad Mann's Civil Engineering class when Rock Bridge Principal Dr. Jen Rukstad, Rock Bridge Assistant Principals David Bones and Brian Gaub and Career Center Assistant Director Brandon Russell surprised him with the news delivered via telephone from U S Representative Vicky Hartzler.

Graham Ratterman listens to Representative Vicky Hartzler give him the good news

David Bones, Brian Gaub, Jen Rukstad, Graham Ratterman, Brad Mann and Brandon Russell

Information Technology featured in KOMU report

Information Technology instructor Laura Estabrooks spoke with KOMU reporter Phil Bergman about teaching IT at Columbia Area Career Center. See the report below.