These signs at Biddeford Regional Center of Technology represent 138 students who completed programs there this year. Courtesy Photo

BIDDEFORD — Staff at Biddeford Regional Center of Technology recently celebrate 138 program completers from the 17 Career and Technical Education programs.

To commemorate the accomplishment, the BRCOT staff created a yard full of celebratory signs and papered the BRCOT lobby with banners showcasing each individual student who completed a program before they return to their sending schools for graduation and their next endeavors.

“This year is all the more special as our graduating students have endured and demonstrated tremendous work ethic and resilience to complete their program certifications during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Paulette Bonneau, Biddeford Regional Center of Technology director. “Students and instructors have embodied the soft-skills that lead to success, such as tenacity, creativity, work ethic and problem-solving skills. This year, we have all quite literally adapted to the fast-paced and ever-changing work environments in which they will soon be employed.”

At the BRCOT graduation ceremony, filmed virtually in advance of the sending high schools’ celebrations, graduating senior, Matthew Laflamme of Biddeford High School was acknowledged as BRCOT Student of the Year. In his pre-recorded commencement speech, which will be broadcast online due to COVID restrictions this year, Laflamme acknowledged that it had been a challenging year, especially distance learning during his Business Leadership program.

“Mr. Maiorino pushed us to keep to a schedule and attend our virtual class with our camera on and engaged. It was great when we got to come back into the classroom four days a week and work together face-to-face,” said Laflamme, who will attend the University of New Hampshire next fall as a sophomore.

“I really liked the hands-on aspect of my program so it kept me motivated,” said Emergency Medical Services Student of the Year Amy Dang of Thornton Academy.

EMS is Dang’s second CTE program at the school; she completed the Certified Nursing Assistant program as a junior. “My advice to younger students is to take advantage of the training at CO,” she said. Dang plans to attend SMCC in the fall, with an eye to completing a master’s degree at the University of New England.

Senior Andrew Charron of Old Orchard Beach received accolades from Residential Construction Instructor, Wayne Hapgood. “Andrew was an outstanding student in an outstanding class,” said Hapgood. “He really tries to understand the theory behind everything we did. He was always early and really pushed to come back and work five days a week because he wanted to get the job done.”

After following the same format for the National Technical Honors Society celebration earlier this year, Bonneau and staff have strived to commemorate BRCOT’s graduation by decorating the lobby and the front lawn with banners and posters representing each student.

“I wish that we could all be together in person to celebrate students’ hard work but know that the class of 2021 is resilient,” said Bonneau. “They have certainly proven they are more adaptable, creative and self-reliant than ever before. I know these students will be very successful in their future endeavors.”

Students and their field of study are:

Auto Body Technology: Vincenzo Balsamo, Aaron Leary, Ryan Littlefield, Jarrod Olmstead.

Automotive Technology: Jesse Adlard, Nampo Dayton, Ethan Hutchinson, Skyler Lane, Daniel Sheltra, Nicholas Therrien, Tim Trott.

Business Law: Mark Butts, Tommy Gonneville, Alana Ireland, Izzy White.

Business Leadership: Abigail Camire, Samuel Basile, Preston Blow, Brady Connors, Aidan Donovan, Liam Donovan, Garrett Dupee, Renee Dutremble, Brielle Eon, Kaitlin Halle, Rachel Hershey,Mitchell Labbe, Mitchell, Laflamme, Matthew, Luvumbua, Priscila, Alexander McAlevey, Quinn McCollum, Muhamed Mushari, Kelvin Omeze, Nicholas Reissfelder, Michael Riley, Jared Savage.

Career Development: Garrett Dupee, Kaitlin Halle, Owen Johnson, Michael Riley, Jaidan Vallee

CNA/Health Assistant: Emily Elie, Maggie Hamilton-Farley, Emma Horton, Kaya Mosher, Syeda Raidah, Taylor Simmons, Jewel Sylvia, Kate Twombly, Lydia Zuke.

Computer Technology: Mohammed Hashiem, Coley Hatt, Ethan Moulton, Bryce Newton, Jacob Patoine, Benjamin Perry, Alex Reny, Cody Savage, Matthew Talmont.

Early Childhood Education: Monika Buffum, Stephanie Dion, Aariana Hilton, Katie Holt, Mariah Lambert, Hannah Lovejoy, Hannah Macomber, Lindsey McFarland, Haleigh Russell.

Electrical: Drew Boisvert, Joseph Labbe, Montgomery Leclerc, Trever Ouellette, Brian Perreault, Riley Thibault, Bryce Toppan, Jaidan Vallee, Caleb Viger.

Emergency Medical Services: Amy Dang, Nikolina Nikolic, Sean Salazar.

Engineering and Architectural Design: Kenneth Baltodano, Silas Delano, Mason Littlefield, Joshua McCauley, Darrion McLaskey, Joshua Paquet, Ryan Pendleton, Emily Poisson, Nicholas Reissfelder, Amir Seidakhmetov, Alannah Shevenell.

Intro to Education: Kaitlyn Bean, Dahlia Jordan, Amaya Libby, Kristen Moulton, Chelsea Powers.

Intro to Medical Science: Julia Dussault, Will Harriman, Nicole Lacaillade, Christian Lafrance, Malaika Njue, Ciara Roche.

Legal Studies: Tommy Gonneville, Ashley Lightfoot, Isabella White.

Manufacturing Technology: Jaron Durkee, Thomas Golden, Brady Kaler, Justin Mozzicato, Steven Thurlow, Kobe Weinstein.

Medical Assisting: Carley Lovejoy, Dadrian Brown, Lauren Troegner, Nicholas Warren Southwick, Victoria Waterhouse.

Plumbing: Cody Albert, Colby Brown, Ethan Houde, Spencer Hutchinson, Dale Martel, Garrett Parsons, William Strachan.

Residential Carpentry: Bradley Anderson, Dominic Avallone, Cole Butt, Andrew Charron, Zachary Hayford, Kayd’n Neves, Jack Smith.

Welding and Metal Fabrication: Dawson Adams, Ryan Guimond, Chance Hill, David Robertson, Dakota Senecal, Garrett Small, Mitchell Thibodeau.