SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – Paul Dana, a third-year student in the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Program at the River Valley Technical Center and a senior at Springfield High School, has been recognized as a Vermont Presidential Scholar for Career and Technical Education. The Vermont Presidential Scholars Program recognizes students for academic success, artistic and technical excellence, community service, and leadership. Students were nominated by teachers and administrators. Only five CTE students were selected for this honor in the state of Vermont.
Paul was nominated by his Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Program instructor Christopher Gray. Gray applauded Paul for the capstone project focused on solving a real-world problem. The project focused on designing and manufacturing PPE for the initial phase of the Covid-19 crisis in the spring of 2020.
“Paul has been a leader in the AM&E program since first entering as an intro student in the fall of 2017. Although he is ‘quick to offer help,’ he never judges or belittles his classmates for not knowing something. He is a natural educator whose only interest is in helping others advance their knowledge and skill base,” says Gray.
Per his instructor, Paul has mastered every technical area associated with the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering program. This includes manual and CNC machining; programming; mobile and industrial robotics; digital electronics; software applications; engineering design and applied physics. Paul extended his learning by completing a summer internship at the American Precision Museum in Windsor, Vt., during the summer of 2020. He is also a member of SkillsUSA and of the National Technical Honor Society. After high school, Paul plans to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology at Vermont Technical College.
Paul is one of only five students in the state to be recognized as a Vermont Presidential Scholar. He is a driven student and a natural leader; the River Valley Technical Center is proud to include Paul Dana as one of our students.
For more information on the River Valley Technical Center or the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Program at RVTC, follow us on Facebook @RiverValleyTechCenter or on our website www.rvtc.org.