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High school seniors in career and technical education programs throughout Isle of Wight County Schools recently signed employment commitments with area businesses and industries.  

Programs represented included welding, manufacturing, culinary arts, early childhood education, and the teacher cadet program. Eighteen students, along with their instructors, family members and future employers, gathered at the IWCS Agricultural Land Lab for a signing ceremony. 

From culinary arts, Paris Reeves and Ava Zari accepted employment offers from Red Point Taphouse. The instructors for culinary arts are Scott Horne and Nic Hagen.

Bailey Oliver and Austin Ray, graduates of the welding program, signed with Huntington Ingalls shipyard in Newport News. Other welding graduates signed with Norfolk Naval Shipyard, including T’Kari Jones, Aidan Miller, Colton Stalls, Liam Wilson and Connor Cahoon.

Jack Maurey signed an employment contract with Riggins Construction, while Tyler Howell committed to Triad Electrical Solutions. Paul Miller is the welding instructor for IWCS.

Seven students in the early childhood education and teacher cadet programs signed letters of intent to return to Isle of Wight County Schools after graduating from college with their education degrees. The new program, named the Ruby Slipper Club, celebrates graduates of IWCS who return to the division for employment and plays on the saying “There’s No Place Like Home.”  Students signing intent-to-hire letters with IWCS were Emily Paige Cooper, Gracie Holland, Amira Garcia Rodriguez, Cori Favero, Tyler Thomas, Alexis Washburn and Emma Wheatley.

The Ruby Slipper Club demonstrates the division’s commitment to develop a teacher pipeline using current IWCS students. Julie Branch is the instructor for early childhood education, while Karen Washington is the instructor for the teacher cadets.