U.S. Army presents partnership award to CV-TEC

PLATTSBURGH | Staff officers from the U.S. Army presented CV-TEC administrators with a Community Partnership Award on Feb. 24, saluting success in training young leaders. Capt. Ratigan offered a warm thank you to the school in a room full of Security & Law Enforcement Academy students. The award says, "'Thank you for your wonderful support. Together, we are helping develop confident young men and women who are prepared to succeed whether they choose college careers or are prepared to serve the United States military." CV-TEC Executive Director Michele Friedman thanked the military officers for what they do for young professionals throughout the North Country. "CV-TEC is talent-rich," she said. "We have the opportunity to service 16 school districts in two counties. Currently we have nearly 900 young professionals in industry-based training components from the healthcare sector to the transportation sector to the construction sector and the humanities sector. "We are so humbled to have the opportunity to connect that talent, unlock that talent, and find pathways for what's next, the U.S. Army being one of those pathways." Student Services Learning Coordinator Sherry Snow said the school's programs provide student access to a full range of opportunity. "Whether their pathway leads to military service, post-secondary education or direct entry into the workforce, our goal is to ensure that every young professional understands their options and is equipped with the skills, experiences and confidence to succeed in whichever path they choose." Connections are made available long before students graduate, she said. "These opportunities would not be possible without the strength of our partnerships." CV-TEC collaborates with more than 400 regional partners, she said, who are committed to investing in the future. The U.S. Army's focus on leadership training and skills development aligns closely with CV-TEC's mission across many career paths, Snow said, introducing one of the officers, Staff Sgt. Benjamin Mihalkovic, as a CV-TEC alum. Asked how his education here supported early military experience, the staff sergeant said, "(CV-TEC) taught me better discipline. I learned my phonetic alphabet, my military time here, pretty much all the basics set me up for success in Basic Training. It better prepared me for being a leader, too." After serving in the military, the staff sergeant said, he hopes to move into law enforcement work. Over the past five years, on average, Snow said, about 4 percent of their graduating classes -- which averages 430 students -- went on to U.S. Military service. "Honestly, I see that growing," she said. To the CV-TECH Law Enforcement students, professional manner and conduct are very much a part of their education. Bradie Morgan, a junior from Willsboro Central School, said they are responsible for the school's flag detail and maintain a focus on physical fitness. "Our job at the school is to patrol and report," he said. "It's about attaining a professional manner and being able to conduct yourself as a professional. This class is helping me figure out what I want to do." Blake Lee, a Plattsburgh High School Student, is in the first of his two-year program. "I love it here," he said. "For the rest of high school, I'll be here. We have been learning guidelines for restraint." Peru Central School student Nolan Battige is also a junior in the CV-TEC program. "I really like that we gain a leadership role. We are kind of treated like officers. This program helps open our minds to all of the information before we start a career." Riley Nauman, a senior from Beekmantown Central School, said for him, the benefit of learning about law enforcement is different. "My interest is the law section of it," he said. "I want to be a district attorney and run for political office. This class could benefit a lot of people with different goals: military, police, certification as a security officer." Nauman is the program's primary representative to SkillsUSA. "I'm interested in the law and learning what officers can and cannot do. I'm here for the knowledge. Our role at the school is to observe and not intervene, to deter and prevent." The educational foundation, he said, can lead in many directions. "If you think about it, law enforcement can lead to so many careers. I am thinking about going into the military, maybe the Marines." Nauman credits their instructor Frank Mercier for encouraging student input in their course of education. "In this school, you can go so far." After the presentation, Capt. Radigan outlined the wide range of career choices available in the Army, many of which are extensions of skills and trade training, from aircraft and helicopter maintenance and mechanics, he named just a few, to opportunities in the Intelligence Corps with signals and counterintelligence to Information Technology (IT) in the growing fields of AI and cloud technology. "IT is a massively growing sector, and we are standing up new units for AI," he said. Providing options so people can make the choice they believe is best, the captain said, is what they bring to the table.

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U.S. Army presents partnership award to CV-TEC

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