Coordinators of Bakersfield College’s annual Celebration of Student Success in Career Technical Education program held April 6 in BC’s cafeteria predict students in BC’s occupational programs will experience no technical difficulties in their chosen careers, at least not insurmountable ones.
The many departments honoring students included BC’s Agriculture Business Management Department, as well as the Animal Science, Plant Science, Environmental Horticulture and Forestry Departments.
Other departments were Construction Technology, Manufacturing Technology and Automotive Technology and many others.With 168 attendees, the evening started off at 5:30 p.m. and lasted until 7:30 p.m. Both a student and a faculty member from each of the occupational programs was honored along with business community partners who contributed to BC programs.
Gene Voiland, CEO of Aera Energy stated, “Over 1,000 BC students are occupational students. We (at BC) are an economics engine. We’re living in exciting times, in one of the fastest growing cities in California.”
Speaking directly to the attending BC students, Voiland said, “You’ll produce things people need and can’t live without.”
Voiland commented that the majority of people do not know where most products they buy come from.
All they know, Voiland said, is that milk comes from the store, gas comes from a pump, etc.
“People do not stop to think that cheese originates from cows on a farm,” Voiland said. “Ignorance in society makes our jobs more difficult.”
Voiland cautioned the attending students about the negative side to their chosen vocations.
“You’ll do heavy lifting, and often you will not be appreciated for it,” he said.
Referring to the event itself, fellow speaker Ed Knudson, dean of Economic and Workforce Development stated that all those attending were “here to celebrate a partnership with the community.”
Among the honored students were Wendy R. Bennett from the Animal Science department, Amy Young from Agriculture Business Management, Javier Hernandez from Registered Nursing and Alberto A. Rojas from Construction Technology.