Competing in three years of Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO) competitions has allowed Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High senior Prince Adena to develop his public speaking skills and foster relationships with students from other campuses. It has also provided Adena a glimpse into future opportunities after high school.
”CTSOs are helpful to see what you want to do in the future because you get to experience it professionally and see people in that space,” said Adena, one of the many students who took home first-place awards during the annual Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO) State Conferences in February and March. “You get to imagine yourself (that) ʻthis is what I want to do.ʻ”
The range of CTSO competitions was wide and diverse. Students worked in teams to build and fly drones. Or they constructed cabinets out of lumber. Some students, such as Adena, competed in fashion design while others tested their knowledge of human anatomy using the Anatomage Table, a life-sized 3D digital cadaver used for medical training.
That was the expansive reach of the annual CTSO State Conferences that drew about 2,200 middle and high school students from across Hawai‘i. These students participated in competitions where they demonstrated what they learned in the classroom, applied that knowledge to real-world scenarios and qualified for national competitions. CTSOs are co-curricular organizations that enhance student learning through contextual instruction, leadership and personal development.
“It helps them for future jobs, future careers and even talking, with personal skills and communication to adults and professionals. I think all of that comes for this one competition,” said Honoka‘a High and Intermediate teacher Kaui Kanekoa. “Being able to represent your school, be proud of their project, of what they do, and then also learn some personal skills that they will need in the future.”
The CTSO umbrella includes five organizations that each held their own state conference between February and March:
- Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA)
- Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America, Inc. (FCCLA)
- Future Farmers of America (FFA)
- Future Health Professionals, formally known as Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA)
- 스킬스USA
For many students, these conferences directly connect to their future career goals.
“My career goal is to become an aviation maintenance technician for helicopters,” said Joey Fernandez, a senior at H.P. Baldwin High who competed for the fourth year. “This competition has helped me get that shop experience, work experience and knowledge to fix and repair machinery and eventually I want to do that through the military.”
Fernandez was among the students who competed in SkillsUSAʻ’s automotive competition that included a written test and performance test. Events like these bridge the gap between classroom learning and workforce skills.
“I want to go to a trade school after this and go into the automotive technician field,” said Waipahu High School junior Jaeden Dagan. “The experience I gained preparing for the tests with the things we learned in school, this competition puts it all together.”
Four of the five CTSO organizations hosted their conventions in Honolulu. FFA held its convention on Hawai‘i Island at Konawaena High School. For Kohala High student Pela Terrell, participating in FFA expanded her understanding of both agriculture and the professional skills needed in the industry.
“I feel like initially I thought that it was really about, you know, farming and agriculture. And while it is absolutely all of those things, I also feel like it’s primarily a tool to help students learn leadership skills,” said Terrell, who has competed in the national competition twice. “I feel like my professional skills have been developed, my speaking skills, and my ability to connect with people from many different backgrounds.”
Beyond competitions, the conferences also featured demonstrations, career development events, service projects and opportunities to connect with peers from across the state.
“Students should be involved with CTSOs because it provides a space for them to grow professionally and to create relationships with people,” said Adena of Farrington, who finished first in the FCCLA fashion design category with classmate Maria Cecillia Ganal.
