LUMBERTON — PSRC students from various schools put their education into action as they showed off their skills Tuesday and Wednesday at the Public Schools of Robeson County CTE Battle of the Careers Event.
Students could be seen presenting projects, cooking, using coding to build websites, making flower arrangements, and more during the first day of the two-day event at the Southeastern Agricultural Center. More than 200 students were projected to take part in the event this year.
On day two of the event, students participated in competitions across various fields like Automotive, Adobe Design, Drafting/Engineering, and more.
The event allows students to compete against their peers as they apply skills learned in CTE courses to complete projects or presentations in the same category and field of study. At the conclusion of each day, winners are recognized and applauded for their achievements.
“All kids are not going to be competitive in sports, but they can be competitive in an area that they are passionate about,” said Herman Locklear, director of Career and Technical Education at PSRC. “This gives them an opportunity to do that.”
Some students could be seen walking the runway Tuesday wearing clothing they created in the Fashion Show booth. Others were competing to build boats with popsicle sticks with the goal to create the most buoyant and cost-effective product compared to the models built by their peers.
Devaughn McMillan, a senior at Lumberton Senior High School, could be seen cheering his peers on at the Fashion Show booth.
McMillan said he learned to sew because of CTE and that he had plans to mend a pair of his pants using that skill.
James Freeman, who is the CEO of the tech hub Emerging Technology Insitute in Red Springs, was present to judge which student made the best smoothie.
“I volunteer every year,” he said. “This is where you get to see students take what they are learning in school and turn it into an actual project. This is creativity at the fullest.”
Akari Davis, who is a junior at St. Pauls High School, could be seen making taco soup during the event on Tuesday.
Davis said she learned important food safety lessons through CTE Culinary Classes such as how to avoid cross-contaminating food.
Davis aspires to own and operate her own food truck in the future.
Dulce Gonzalez carefully worked on the presentation of her smoothie samples made during the event Tuesday.
Gonzalez said her favorite part of cooking is “tasting the food and being proud of what I just made.”
The CTE event presented her with that same opportunity, she said.
“I am very excited to be here,” said Emily Jones, who serves as Robeson County’s Public Information Officer and as an instructor of a Young Entrepreneurship course at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke’s Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub.
Jones served as a judge at a booth in which students presented their products and ideas for feedback from judges.
“The students are learning how to think outside of the box and have a strong entrepreneurial mindset,” she said. “They can get their start here in Robeson County.”
