Gulf Coast Tech Prep sponsors professional development conferences and events throughout the Gulf Coast Region.

Awards

Award winers.

2008 Award for Counseling Excellence Winner

2008 Award for Counseling Excellence Winner Bob Holcombe has been a split counselor for Columbia HS, Sweeny HS, and the Brazosport College since 1999. Prior to his service to the school districts he was a counselor at Brazosport College. Under his guidance, literally hundreds of students from Columbia HS and Sweeny HS have accessed the Brazosport College system for dual credit, concurrent credit, and process technology career paths. His ability to liase between the districts and college has been an invaluable service to each institiution. Due to his vigilance and guidance, a number of career paths have opened up for students in our community, allowing them to have a more enriched and fulfilling life and adding to the value of the community he services.

Mr. Holcombe has always had a very calm and gentle demeanor. He quietly goes about working with students, lining up college courses, making inquiries, following up on needs, and taking care of business. He has always been at work. This past year Mr. Holcombe experienced a very deep tragedy with his family. Yet, he continues to be the kind and gentle counselor for the students, always there for them, always at work, quiet and calm. Most people would be very changed and angry with what he has encountered, yet he does not exhibit this behavior and he remains a very efficient professional; committed to serving and helping the students. He advises students about paths open to them, what tests to take, what courses are useful or needed, what steps they need to take to be prepared and enrolled. He works with the college to clear the path for students needing special arrangements. He works closely with the college to tell them about the needs and questions students have brought to him. He helps the college expand and roll out additional courses and career paths to meet the needs of the communities. Mr. Holcombe works with the district and high school to keep us informed of changes, to articulate agreements, to implement current course sequences in our course catalogues, and to properly code the students classes. Mr. Holcombe has worked with the community business partners to assist with grants and materials and to assure the students know about them and access them. Congratulations to both the winners from our Counselors’ & Administrators’ Extravaganza

Gulf Coast CTE Administrator of the Year Award

Gulf Coast Tech Prep Consortium has begun an annual outstanding CTE administrator award this year to show appreciation for the dedicated and awesome job they perform for the students in our service Region. Nominations are received from the administrator’s peers and review by an independent panel to select the most outstanding nominee.

This year’s most outstanding nominee was Allen Kaminski from Sealy ISD. Allen was formally an Agriculture Science teacher before he became the current CTE Director for Sealy ISD. He has been at the forefront of implementing many programs and activities that are benefiting the students in Sealy ISD that not only allows them to be aware of career possibilities but have the opportunities to receive quality training in their respective career aspirations. There are career activities in the elementary school, and intermediate school; career assessments in the junior high school; "Eight Grade Career Day"; and multiple opportunities in high school to pursue their career goals. Allen and the Sealy ISD Technology Director developed an electronic career plan of study that allows students to develop their own career plan of study. The system also provides data that allows for a system of evaluating the needs and progress of students at Sealy high school. At the 2007 NCLA/ACTE Best Practice Conference, the Sealy ISD Career Plan of Study system was awarded a top ten best practice award. Allen has been successful in finding partners to provide additional resources and opportunities for the Sealy High School students. He also hosted a TSTC road show which resulted in $10,000 worth of scholarships for Sealy high school students. He organized an Austin County Industry Tour for Sealy ISD seniors and got a Target grant to cover the expenses. Allen works with the WorkSource to assist seniors who need financial aid in workforce training and many of them have received assistance in receiving forklift, machining and welding workforce training. He has coordinated a workforce/technical dual credit welding course with Blinn College at Sealy High School for adult education and high school students. A workforce grant for $10,500 provided funds for additional welding equipment that helped to accommodate the large number of enrollees. Helping students identify potential scholarship possibilities and completing the applications is one of the many activities where Allen directly assists students. Last year, the students he assisted were awarded $72,000 in scholarships. Allen has worked to add opportunities for students to earn multiple industry certifications. Students can earn industry certifications in almost any career path they pursue at Sealy High School. Allen is strong proponent of providing a workable plan of study that extends beyond high school for every student and Tech Prep is a major component of providing this opportunity at Sealy High School. He currently has Tech Pre agreements with Blinn College, Lone Star College System and TSTC.Allen is dedicated to career and technical education. He wants Sealy ISD Students to be prepared and successful for college, technical school or the workforce after graduation. Allen always says, "All students will enter the workforce one day and we need to make sure they are ready."

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