Many juniors are making a big change this year, and they are starting to venture out and take classes at KTEC.
This is a big step for many students because they are getting to step out of their comfort zone and take one step closer to adulthood.
KTEC is a trade/technical school for high school students to be able to get a head start in their trades without having to pay tuition. It is one of the many programs that Lakeland High School provides for students. There are many fields of trade that can be studied at KTEC, such as but not limited to nursing, auto mechanics, diesel mechanics, plumbing, construction and auto body.
KTEC students take three class periods at LHS and the rest of their school day is spent in their KTEC classes. There is an option to be at KTEC in the morning or in the afternoon. Many people who choose the afternoon classes get a fifty-minute lunch period.
Going to KTEC is a much different environment from only attending LHS. Studies are more directed towards specific interests and learning in an environment that is much more mature.
Many people could compare it to a work environment and not a school environment.
It may feel like going to a completely different school for some students. They are in a new place learning things they normally would not learn in a typical school setting.
One program at KTEC is for nursing students to earn their CNAs. This is a program that helps students earn their CNA or MA certificate before they graduate high school. This is very helpful for students looking to go into the medical field.
Samantha Laird goes to KTEC every morning to work towards her CNA. This year, she is learning her basics to decide if she wants to study to be a nursing assistant or a medical assistant.
Laird said that the environment at KTEC is much more “professional” than here at LHS.
“(We) can’t have phones and must wear scrubs,” Laird said. “It’s more like a work environment than a school environment.”
Laird was initially very excited to learn in a new environment that is so focused on one field. Laird feels like being at KTEC is a really different setting compared to LHS, and she enjoys it more at KTEC.
Since students from many different schools attend KTEC, Laird said that it gives “opportunities to meet people that share the same goals as you and form strong bonds.”
Laird was motivated to join the KTEC problem because it has always been a goal for her to go into the medical career to help people. Many of her family members work in the medical field, so she has been inspired by them to help people in need.
Laird said that the medical field also requires “lots of responsibility.”
She believes she can handle it and it will be a good way to challenge herself.
Evan Wallace studies Diesel Mechanics at KTEC. One thing Wallace has noticed is how the rules are more strict at KTEC because of the dress code and how well-behaved they must be.
Wallace enjoys being able to go to a different location because LHS doesn’t have semi trucks and tractors. He also enjoys going to a different location because he gets to work with kids from other schools. This helps students expand their knowledge of social skills in the workforce while learning specific skills for their trade.
Wallace used to be a part of the Industrial Mech program here at LHS. He said that he misses Corey Pettit, the teacher for the welding class, the most, but he would rather be able to become a diesel mechanic than continue doing welding here at LHS.
Issac Silas also attends KTEC. He is a part of the construction class that they have there.
“I can see myself in the future falling under it for a career, plus I did it over the summer and want to get better at it,” Silas said.
Silas enjoys the environment at KTEC because he enjoys the people and there are many different things to do there.
He likes being at in a different setting because it “makes the day go by quicker when you come back” to LHS.
In the construction program at KTEC, students have to pay attention since they are working with tools. It’s a lot different from LHS because the class times are different and it’s more of a “work environment,” according to Silas.
Although Silas enjoys being at LHS more, he is glad he spends his morning at KTEC.
“Go to KTEC find what you enjoy doing and do it. There’s a lot of opportunities and benefits that come from it,” Silas said.