Oklahoman elected national FFA president
Oklahoma FFA came back from the 98th National FFA Convention with more than awards: The chapter also brought home the national president.
Trey Myers, Perkins-Tryon FFA, was elected the 2025-26 National FFA president. He is Oklahoma FFA’s 24th national officer and the ninth national president. Oklahoma has produced more National FFA presidents than any other state in the country, said Trevor Lucas, Oklahoma FFA executive secretary with Oklahoma CareerTech.
Ryder Klaassen, Hydro-Eakly FFA, became Oklahoma’s 11th American Star Farmer, and the Stillwater FFA chapter was named National Premier Chapter in Strengthening Agriculture. Oklahoma has produced more American Star winners than any other state in the country.
Read more on the Oklahoma CareerTech website.
Apprenticeship carves new path for Mid-Del’s Cavin Pugh
Upon graduating high school in 2021, Cavin Pugh didn’t enter directly into an educational path.
But when life changed with the birth of his son, Pugh remembered a high school tour he had taken at Mid-Del Technology Center. Now, Pugh is a Mid-Del plumbing graduate working full time in the field as an apprentice.
His story is one of not just apprenticeship, but also mentorship by a Mid-Del instructor and a changed trajectory from being part of the Oklahoma CareerTech system.
Watch the video on the Oklahoma CareerTech YouTube channel.
CareerTech Foundation awards $100,425 in scholarships
The Oklahoma CareerTech Foundation recently awarded more than $100,000 in scholarships to 202 postsecondary students in Oklahoma.
The foundation distributed $99,425 in Otha Grimes scholarships to students attending Oklahoma CareerTech technology centers. Scholarships ranged from $300 to $800 per student. One of the recipients, Jessica Blair of Kiamichi Technology Centers-Stigler, also received a $1,000 Francis Tuttle Memorial Scholarship.
“Oklahoma CareerTech and the CareerTech Foundation are proud to support the efforts of these students as they prepare for their careers in Oklahoma’s technology centers,” said Brent Haken, Oklahoma CareerTech state director.
Read more on the Oklahoma CareerTech website.
Expert: Middle school ‘an ideal time’ to invest in CTE
Middle school is the ideal time to introduce students to career development activities and CareerTech education, according to a report co-published by Advance CTE and ACTE.
Those students haven’t decided on careers or what they can do yet, K-12 Dive reported.
“It’s about building that knowledge, building some foundational skills and learning about careers so they can make decisions about high school coursework, and then even beyond high school,” Alisha Hyslop, chief policy, research and content officer at ACTE, told the publication.
She recommended finding opportunities in a variety of subjects and involving families, employers and members of the community in CTE, including inviting them to speak in the classroom and scheduling field trips.
Read more on the K-12 Dive website.
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State Agency Assistance at a Glance
National Research Center for Career and Technical Education
OK Career Guide Training Opportunities
At 19, you know everything; by the time you’re 40, you haven’t got a clue. -- Hugh Bonneville
