Pendleton High School CTE Student Spotlight – Tessa Ayers

Name: Tessa Ayers
Grade: Senior

What CTE classes/pathway are you taking?
I have taken Food and Travel 1-4, which is part of the Hospitality and Travel Pathway.

What do you enjoy about your CTE classes at PHS?
They have helped me learn about the culinary industry and the health benefits of the food. Doing the takeout meals for teachers has given me experience in the aspects of managing a business.

How are CTE classes making a difference in your education?
It has helped me learn the value in food so I can eat healthy and eat well. It also has helped me build experience working as a team. After high school, I plan to study sports medicine or nutrition. Food and Travel classes have given me foundational knowledge of food and its values to further my education after high school.

Would you like to share anything else about CTE at PHS?
I recommend trying the CTE program. You learn so many life skills that you can carry over into your life and further your career. Don’t be scared – it’s fun and collaborative. There are lots of opportunities to get volunteering experience to put on your resume and gain real-world experience. Even if you don’t think you’re going to go into the food or nutrition industry, I do recommend doing at least a year of Food and Travel because it helps you learn basic cooking skills.

Pendleton High School CTE Student Spotlight – Viviana Martinez

Name: Viviana Martinez
Grade: Senior

What CTE classes/pathway are you taking?
I am taking Advanced Studio Art, which aligns with the Visual and Media Arts CTE Pathway.

What do you enjoy about your CTE classes at PHS?
I really enjoy how freely we are able to create within the classroom. The studio art classes are entirely independent, which encourages me to plan and design virtually anything I want. Mrs. Prevot, the art teacher, also gives positive feedback and advice for my and other student’s ideas, which is encouraging.

How are CTE classes making a difference in your education?
Since I want art to be my future career pursuit, the Visual and Media Arts CTE Pathway has made it exponentially easier to learn different drawing/painting techniques and how to navigate through different digital applications. Being able to use different digital art/photography programs has been beneficial since those skills are needed in a professional multimedia environment.

Would you like to share anything else about CTE at PHS?
Taking any CTE Pathway is a good way to keep track of what skills and knowledge you need to know for your future career.

Operation Christmas was a huge success at PHS this year.  The PHS Counseling Office was able to organize gift bags for 50 students this year.  This could not have happened without the generous donations we received from PHS Staff and community members. A special shout out to Wildhorse Resort and Casino, Medical Center Dental, Pendleton Faith Center and Premium Tire and Lube.

The joy and appreciation that each student displayed was heartwarming and made all the work that went into it worth every minute. We hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas this year.

PHS Groups & Teams Work Together for Christmas Cheer

A number of children in the Pendleton community will have some gifts under their Christmas tree this year thanks to the Salvation Army and Pendleton High School students and staff. Each year, PHS student groups, sports teams, and some staff groups participate in the Adopt-a-Family project at the school.

Here’s how it works: PHS student clubs, sports teams, and staff groups let the PHS Leadership Class know they would like to participate and tell them how many children they would like to “adopt” for the holiday. PHS Leadership gets tags from the Salvation Army with wishes from children about what they want/need for Christmas, then passes those along. The groups go shopping and purchase items like clothes, shoes, toys, games, etc. for the children.

“It’s so much fun and rewarding to help out people in our community and give back during the holidays,” said Ellie, PHS Senior and Chair of Adopt-a-Family.

This year, more than 10 PHS groups are participating, including the Culture Club, National Honor Society, Hispanic/Latino Club, Girls’ Basketball, Boys’ Basketball, Girls’ Tennis, PHS Leadership and more. PHS Leadership collects all of the gifts and takes them to the Salvation Army, which distributes them.

“I just hope that people realize they can give back in many ways and anywhere, even in high school,” Ellie said.