Katie Chludzinski and Kyle Claypool, 2019 Precision Machining and Manufacturing graduates, present the PMM Class of 2019 Scholarship to 2026 Beaver Local senior Robert Marra. Marshall Calvin, a 2019 graduate, also contributed to the scholarship this year but was unable to attend the senior awards ceremony. (Submitted photo)

LISBON – Career and technical education has come a long way from the days of the joint vocational school (JVS) of the past.

Today there are so many more options for students who choose to enroll in career and technical centers during high school.

Students can prepare to go straight into the workforce upon graduation after earning the necessary certifications during their high school career. This means they start out making a living wage without having to take any additional education.

Students may also choose to enlist in the military, with many students taking the skills and certifications earned with them to start a step ahead of others by qualifying for enlistment rank incentives, accelerating the ability to earn promotions, and using their civilian mechanical skills to find specialized maintenance MOS roles.

While students in career and technical education could always pursue those two pathways, their opportunities in them are greater than they used to be.

What many don’t realize is that with modern day career and technical education, students who choose to pursue a post-secondary degree through a four-year college, a two-year college, or through an apprenticeship program are already several steps ahead of their counterparts in traditional education institutions.

The Columbiana County Career and Technical Center (CCCTC) is a school of choice that provides all of these opportunities and options to their graduates.

A perfect example of what one can gain by being a student of career and technical education is Lisbon resident, Katie Chludzinski.

Chludzinski was a student in the CCCTC’s Precision Machining and Manufacturing (PMM) program. She credits a great deal of her current success to enrolling as a student in the program after visiting the CCCTC during her sophomore year of high school.

Chludzinski, as well as several of her PMM classmates, feel so strongly about the positive effect the program at the CCCTC had on their lives, that upon graduating, they actually got together and decided to put their own money into offering a yearly scholarship to a student graduating from the program. The year 2026 was the seventh year that she and her classmates presented a monetary scholarship to a deserving student from the program.

The group actually started the scholarship the spring after they graduated high school.

When Chludzinski talked about why she and her classmates chose to start a scholarship, she spoke very highly about the education she received at the CCCTC. She stated that this scholarship “means a lot to everyone who contributes to it. We all saw the value of the CCCTC.”

When they started the scholarship, every graduating member of the program contributed to the scholarship. Over the past six years, they have all remained involved with the scholarship with individual contributions varying from year to year depending on the amount the graduates can reasonably contribute each year.

Chludzinski stated that three of them consistently contribute to the scholarship every year while others contribute when financially feasible for them. The scholarship varies between $500 to $800 per year.

Katie said, “Machining tools are so expensive and we understand that. It really helps when you are new at a career to have some money to purchase the necessary tools. We encourage scholarship recipients to purchase used tools to get more for their money.”

Chludzinski speaks about the CCCTC so fondly when she reminisces on how she got where she is today.

Upon graduating from the CCCTC, she pursued and earned her Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree from Youngstown State University. She then went on to earn her Masters of Mechanical Engineering from YSU in May of 2025.

While many students go into college already having CCP (college credit plus) credits, Chludzinski instead focused on taking honors classes and said it was more important to her to have the background she received in her precision machining and manufacturing program because she already had a head start in engineering and was able to work in the field while going to college.

During her college years, Chludzinski worked in her field at several local businesses including Firestone Laser, Butch Bliss, and Master Center Street Technologies. She is currently a Manufacturing Engineer at Penex Aluminum of Leetonia.

When asked how being a student in the precision machining and manufacturing program at the CCCTC prepared her for college, Chludzinski said one of the biggest aspects was how well the hands-on background she had from the PMM program helped her with the theoretical aspects of engineering she was learning in college. It allowed her to envision situations in a much better sense.

Another huge aspect was the experience she had already gained in reading and drawing up blueprints in high school gave her an edge over others when she got to college. She said everywhere she worked, they asked about her time at the CCCTC so they could understand what was happening there that was preparing the students so well for the workforce.

Her involvement in student groups at the CCCTC was also a huge plus when it came to successfully working with others both in college and in her career. Chludzinski said that in her job now, what she uses daily is the marriage of the material learned in college and the skills learned at the CCCTC.

With her education and background, Chludzinski could find a job and success anywhere. She chooses to stay in Columbiana County.

Chludzinski said, “I love the area and the industry in this area. There is great machining and manufacturing in Columbiana and Mahoning counties. Companies have a shortage of machinists. This is another reason we chose to start the scholarship. We want local people to fill those jobs. Not many people have a mix of CNC and manual, but that is something that the CCCTC provides. We see the scholarship as a way to give back, and we enjoy seeing students benefit from it. We also like to reflect back, see the value of our education, and want to pass it on to others. The Hoss Foundation helped me pay my way through college, and I appreciated that so much, so if I have the ability to help, I should do that. The accommodations from the CCCTC allowed me to be where I am. Without it, my life would be very different. It made me realize that there is still good in people.”

(Submitted material)