Reimagining Oklahoma CareerTech
The Tulsa World sat down with Oklahoma CareerTech State Director Brent Haken to talk about the system, how it works and how it’s funded.
In his State of the State address this month, Gov. Kevin Stitt talked about rethinking how CareerTech is funded. Haken, along with Tulsa Technology Center officials, discussed why tech centers are funded the way they are and what increased enrollment would require.
Read their discussion on the Tulsa World website.
Oklahoma alum creates gown for Super Bowl commercial
For fans of rapper Jack Harlow, Super Bowl LVII was all about the triangle. For former Oklahoman Corey Martin, the Super Bowl was all about the dress.
During a 90-second Doritos commercial, Harlow plays the triangle, and suddenly the primitive musical instrument becomes the hottest thing on the planet. One scene in the commercial shows a runway model walking a poodle whose mid-section is groomed in the shape of a triangle.
The model’s unique high-low gown is covered in heavy metal triangles, with a striking white hat decorated with matching silver triangles. The dress was designed by Trayce Field and created by Corey Martin, an Oklahoma City area native.
Read more on the Oklahoma CareerTech website.
Tech center superintendent on Most Admired CEOs list
Moore Norman Technology Center Superintendent and CEO Brian Ruttman is among 41 people named to the 2023 Oklahoma’s Most Admired CEOs list by The Journal Record.
The honorees are chosen from three categories: public company, private company and nonprofit. An overall winner will be chosen from each category and honored during the 14th annual Oklahoma’s Most Admired CEOs and Financial Stewardship Awards event April 24.
Read more on The Journal Record website.
CareerTech Champion: Brighton Snow - Mid-America Technology Center and BPA
Brighton Snow has his own production company and manages social media networks for large businesses. His company creates marketing videos, promotional graphics and advertising imagery for his clients. Not bad for a small-town boy with one semester of college under his belt.
Snow grew up in Washington, a south-central Oklahoma town with just over 600 people. He toured Mid-America Technology Center as an eighth grader, but he would have to wait more than two years before he could enroll.
He was so excited he could barely wait. Snow had a passion for multimedia, and when he discovered he could attend the tech center while he was in high school, he seized the opportunity.
“I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today without CareerTech,” he said.
The hands-on learning environment appealed to Snow, who said he loved being able to learn with industry-leading technology.
“In the multimedia industry, technology is always improving and changing,” he said. “Mid-America gave me the resources to learn film production, graphic design and social media marketing. I can confidently create marketing videos, promotional graphics and advertising imagery using the career skills I’ve learned.”
Snow joined Oklahoma Business Professionals of America, serving as state president in 2021. He competed in BPA events, using skills such as using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, operating a camera and editing video. He has won nearly a dozen awards, including the title of world champion in social media management two years in a row.
In addition to his technical skills, Snow said, he also gained confidence.
“My adviser, Paxton Cavin, had a huge impact on me,” he said. “She always motivates me to be the best.”
That confidence helped Snow become one of only three Oklahoma students selected as U.S. Presidential Scholars in 2022.
He said CareerTech taught him the value of hard work, honesty and dedication, attributes he no doubt implements as he simultaneously runs a business and continues his education. Snow is enrolled at Oklahoma State University and after college plans to start a marketing company designed to help local farmers explore new marketing platforms.
“Local farmers often don’t know how to take advantage of social media,” he said.
Meridian Tech student named U.S. Presidential Scholars candidate
Carson McSpadden, a Meridian Technology Center pre-engineering student, has been named a candidate in the 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholars program.
A review committee will choose approximately 600 candidates as semifinalists before up to 161 scholars are chosen and announced in May.
McSpadden is a senior at Carney High School.
Read more on the Stillwater News Press website.
Useful links
Follow us on Twitter at @okcareertech and find us on Facebook at OklahomaCareerTech and on Instagram at oklahomacareertech and read our blog, Oklahoma CareerTech Delivers. Find our podcast at https://www.ctconversations.org/.
For news about Oklahoma’s CareerTech System, subscribe to CareerTech communications.
State Agency Assistance at a Glance
National Center for Research in Career and Technical Education