For centuries, people have celebrated the baker’s dozen.
As legend has it, bakers in 13th Century Britain gave rise to the idea of providing extra bread for patrons who ordered a dozen small loaves.
Extra bread satisfied consumers and protected merchants from laws enacted to standardize the baking industry. Collectively, bakers concluded more is merrier.
That is certainly the case at Canadian Valley Technology Center, where students and instructors are celebrating a baker’s dozen national champions.
Students in most of the school’s 22 full-time programs have the option of competing in regional student organization contests in which they apply learned skills in a competitive environment. Top finishers qualify for state. Only state champions qualify for nationals.
CV Tech had 46 state champions who represented its four student organizations at national contests this summer. Thirteen of those won gold medals as the very best in the nation.
Zoe Blue, 18, of Chickasha, won the Job Interview competition at the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America national competition in Atlanta.
A recent graduate of Chickasha High School and CV Tech’s Early Care and Education program, Blue was credited with the most points by a three-person interview panel.
“I was really excited when they called my name,” she said. “I was really surprised. It’s something that I can talk about for a long time, and I’m sure it will help with networking in the future.”
For now, Blue is content with working as a substitute at CV Tech’s Chickasha Campus childcare center. She is enrolled at the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma. She will pursue a bachelor’s degree in early education with hopes of one day becoming a special education teacher. Her CV Tech instructor is Mary Beth Carver.
A family testimonial drew her to CV Tech. Now, Blue has a testimonial of her own to share with others.
“Canadian Valley was the right choice for me,” she said. “I came here partly because my brother (Jacob) was in Digital Media, and he loved it. It was his favorite place to go during the school day.”
Seven other girls were crowned national champions in the Early Care and Education program at the El Reno Campus.
Autumn Jones, 18, of Yukon, placed third last year at the FCCLA national contest in Nashville. She repeated as Oklahoma’s champion and was granted another crack at nationals this year in Atlanta.
Jones teamed up with Charisma O’Steen and Britney Summers, both of Mustang, in the Focus on Children category. The team won the national gold medal for their project that was shared with area child care center teachers.
The girls distributed six monthly newsletters with tips for creative activities that would help day care teachers do their jobs more efficiently and save money.
Positive feedback was shared by a handful of area child care centers, including TLC Child Care in Piedmont and For Heaven’s Sake in Yukon. Comments included appreciation for the free and innovative suggestions
“I am very honored to win gold at nationals, and I am so grateful that I got the opportunity to come here and learn,” Jones said.
She applied what she learned at school often. She also works as a substitute, but in CV Tech’s El Reno Campus child care center.
“My family was fostering kids, so I tried to help my mom by using the information I learned at school and working with our foster children,” Jones said.”
She has enrolled in Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City, where she will pursue an associate degree in elementary education.
Jones hopes to eventually transfer to the University of Central Oklahoma in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in elementary education so that she can become an elementary schoolteacher. Her CV Tech instructor is Deborah White.
CV Tech’s previous high-water mark for national champions was six.
CV TECH NATIONAL CONTEST RESULTS
CHICKASHA CAMPUS
NATIONAL CHAMPION
Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA)
Job Interview: Zoe Blue, Chickasha
NATIONAL PLACERS
FCCLA
Advocacy: 2. Kandice Roberts, Chickasha
Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA)
Creative Problem Solving: 4. Kelsey Crews, Newcastle; Jennifer Letkiewicz, Blanchard; Leah Price, Chickasha; Molly Simonton, Lindsay
STAR EVENTS
Job Interview: 10,. Zoe Blue, Chickasha
EL RENO CAMPUS
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
FCCLA
Interpersonal Communication: Anna Stephenson, Mustang
Illustrated Talk: Caitlyn Clark, Yukon; Madison Wilson, Yukon; Jessica Richards, Yukon
Focus on Children: Autumn Jones, Yukon; Charisma O’Steen, Mustang; Britney Summers, Mustang
SkillsUSA
Chapter Business Team: Tyler Brown, Minco; Devin D’Avis, Mustang; Ricky Powell, El Reno; Riley Ensign, Yukon; Jocelyn Clark, Oklahoma City
NATIONAL PLACERS
Business Professional of American (BPA)
Visual Basic/C# Programming: 2. Grady Clark
HOSA
Biomedical Debate: 4. Ryan Jansen, Yukon; Oklahoma City; Destiny Moxley, Mustang; Maegan Thompson, Oklahoma City
HOSA Bowl: 3. Danille Hay, Yukon; Jon Kurkul, Oklahoma City; Rachel Richardson, Yukon
SkillsUSA
Esthetics: 2. Gennia Tibbs, Yukon
STAR EVENTS
FCCLA
Illustrated Talk: 2. Caitlyn Clark, Yukon; Jessica Rickards, Yukon; Madison Wilson, Yukon
Interpersonal Communications: 4, Anna Stephenson, Mustang
