#1StudentNWI: Porter County Career and Tech Center Ties Itself to Winter Prep and Fun

#1StudentNWI: Porter County Career and Tech Center Ties Itself to Winter Prep and Fun

What’s Happening?

The Porter County Career and Technical Center has about 400 students on campus during both morning and afternoon classes. All of these students work hard in their classes and are famished and parched during and afterwards, but how can these students continue their days?

Three words. Snacks and drinks.

The Porter County Career Center’s Entrepreneurship Sports and Entertainment Marketing Class has a tradition of opening up a store around October or November. They sell snacks, beverages, and other consumables that always delight the student population.

1Student-PCCTC-Nov-2017-04Usually, the store opens around October. Although the store has not been opened yet, the design of it this year is completely different as well involving all the schools in this year’s theme.

As of right now, the Entrepreneurship Sports and Entertainment Marketing Class is in the midst of preparing the store and making sure it’s ready by next week.

With the restocking of the consumables and beverages in this year’s store, the students in the Entrepreneurship Sports and Entertainment Marketing Class are extremely innovative. This group works well together when it comes to in class projects or when it comes to helping out other students in the school.

With this group combining to work in the store, it’s extremely possible to make this store the best one yet. This would be due to this year’s design and the class that is running it.

Students have been wanting the store to open for quite some time, but these students will be blown away by the image of this year’s store.

Students have wondered what the name of this year’s store will be and what it will look like, but they will find out soon!

What’s Coming Up?

1Student-PCCTC-Nov-2017-01With the weather getting colder and winter approaching, the Porter County Career and Technical Center wants to give the students some fun for this cold period of time.

The Event Coordinator from the Entrepreneurship Sports and Entertainment Marketing Class, Kelsie Edwards, is in the process of setting up a party to offset the cold weather.

So why not an Ice Skating party to give the students and staff a good time to socialize outside of school? For this year, the Porter County Career Center will throw just that on Thursday, November 30th.

This party will be from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. at the Central Park Pavilion Lafayette St. The admission is $7.00, which provides the admission and the skates rental!

Food will be provided, and Edwards is looking at various options on what to provide for the party.

Edwards believes this ice skating party will be the talk of the whole year! She’s in the process of making flyers, putting them around the school, and marketing the event with her classmates.

This event promises to be enjoyable and bring a little more fun to the cold weather. Even for novice ice skaters, or those who have never given it a try before, it'll be worth the opportunity to socialize, interact with others, and enjoy some free food and beverages!

Teacher Spotlight

1Student-PCCTC-Nov-2017-02With winter coming, cars start becoming more vulnerable to damage from the weather. This means the students and staff driving to school and students going back to their home school are more prone to car damage than before.

At the Porter County Career and Technical Center, that problem decreases greatly with the Auto Services Technology classes.

Mr. Wester teaches the morning and afternoon classes, and he has a “Winter Car Check” that has a positive impact for the students and staff.

“With the winter car check we are doing free winter car checks for all students and staff. That includes a 30-point inspection. We are just trying to make sure their car is ready for the winter. We check batteries, tires, belt hoses, fluids, and anything safety-related just to make sure they’re ready for winter,” said Wester.

His background is phenomenal when it comes to the classes he teaches. Coincidentally, he is a high school graduate from the same program.

“I spent 30 years in the field as an automotive master technician. I was always in independent shops. I’m a graduate from the Porter County Career and Technical Center from 1987,” Wester says.

Wester is definitely a person that cares about his students and the Porter County Career Center. With the students having a great passion for his classes, he indeed recognizes that.

“What I like about teaching my classes is seeing the passion the students have for the automobile and the industry itself. When they struggle with something and when they get it, that’s super cool,” Wester explained.

Wester has some advice for those interested in the class.

“It’s a challenging field. There’s plenty of money to be made in it. There’s a huge shortage of technicians right now, but it is an advancing field. It’s one of the fastest growing fields right now,” said Wester.

Mr. Wester knows the ins and outs, but also has a great attitude towards his students!

Student Spotlight

1Student-PCCTC-Nov-2017-03The Auto Services Technology class has extremely bright students that have a great knowledge over automobiles and the industry. With this being said, the students of Mr. Wester’s Auto classes are extremely focused on whatever task they’re given.

Nathan Lewis is a student recognized by Mr. Wester, as he is very familiar with the automobile field.

Lewis is a 2nd year student at Porter County Career and Technical Center and he’s a senior at Valparaiso High school.

His first year lessons were a lot different than he expected them to be.

“It was really nerve wracking because I’m walking in thinking that all I worked on was my Honda. I came in thinking I don’t know anything about tools. All I had was a ratchet set. I was thinking everyone else already knew how to drop out engines, especially with second year. After the first couple days, it really wasn’t that bad,” explained Lewis.

With Lewis in his second year at the Career Center, he always has the same drive about going to class.

“I really look forward getting out into the shop and doing the work. I just like doing the little stuff such as brake jobs and oil change because it’ll make someone’s day that they can get that done for $20 instead of $40,” said Lewis.

Lewis explained that this class is more hands on, and that it’s not your ordinary classroom.

“I really like all the responsibilities that Mr. Wester gives us. I like working hands on. I enjoy working on cars. It’s not the normal classroom experience that everyone says it is,” said Lewis.

Lewis is a student recognized due to the work ethic as well as his positive attitude on learning more about this field.