Education

Peoria Unified Student Nominated for U.S. Presidential Scholar in CTE

Liberty High School senior Liam Beltram was recently selected as one of five Arizona nominees for the 2020-2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars in Career and Technical Education (CTE). Beltram was selected by a review team consisting of CTE stakeholders based on evidence of academic rigor, technical competence, professional employability skills, and ingenuity and creativity.

According to the Association for Career and Technical Education, high school students involved in CTE are “more engaged, perform better and graduate at higher rates.”

CTE statistics include:

• Taking one CTE class for every two academic classes minimizes the risk of

students dropping out of high school. • The average high school graduation rate for students concentrating in CTE programs is 93 percent, compared to an average national freshman graduation rate of 80 percent. • 91 percent of high school graduates who earned two to three CTE credits enrolled in college.

As one of the five Arizona nominees, Beltram was selected by the Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, Kathy Hoffman, and was submitted by her office to the Commission on Presidential Scholars at the

U.S. Department of Education. As a semifinalist nominee, he will be invited to apply for the National Review by the Commission on Presidential Scholars at the U.S. Department of Education. Twenty outstanding U.S. Presidential Scholars in Career and Technical Education students will be recognized in May.

Beltram participated in several of Peoria Unified’s CTE programs throughout his tenure at Liberty High School, including Engineering and Air Force Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC). Peoria Unified School District, through a partnership with WEST-MEC, offers high school students a variety of CTE opportunities. Some of the programs offer students the chance to earn college credit while still in high school and also receive on-the-job training. For more information about Peoria Unified’s CTE programs, visit peoriaunified.org/cte.

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