State Education Department Commissioner Dr. Betty Rosa toured the P-TECH campus in Dunkirk earlier this week.
When Myah Benjamin made the decision to enroll at the WNY P-TECH Academy in Dunkirk, the idea was far out of her comfort zone. She came from an eighth-grade class at Northern Chautauqua Catholic School in Dunkirk with only six girls and two boys. On the move to P-TECH, Benjamin said to herself, “This is going to be interesting.”
Now as a senior, Benjamin has become the perfect example of what the Department of Education wants from students across the state. In just one afternoon, Benjamin earned praise from the highest ranking education official in the state.
Dr. Betty Rosa, Commissioner of the New York state Department of Education, said to Benjamin as she visited the campus earlier this week, “You’re my shero.”
Rosa and her fellow representatives from the state Department of Education visited several stops across western New York earlier this week, including the WNY P-TECH campus in Dunkirk. WNY P-TECH is a regional program that pairs high school, college, and industry experiences to prepare students for high-demand careers. When the brief visit concluded, Rosa left the campus extremely impressed.
“It was fabulous. It was just fantastic,” Rosa said. “… Great kids, great place, great leadership. I’m thrilled to be here to see it firsthand.”
State Education Department Commissioner Dr. Betty Rosa listens to students describe their experiences at WNY P-TECH in Dunkirk while having lunch at the campus.
P-TECH is a Pathways in Technology program that is a public-private partnership that will prepare thousands of New York students for high-skills jobs of the future in technology, manufacturing, healthcare and finance.
Once the traveling party arrived at P-TECH, they were welcomed by administrators from P-TECH and Erie 2 BOCES, as well as past and present students who shared their experiences at the Dunkirk campus.
“What I loved most is that they were able to articulate being in a traditional classroom versus taking that learning and applying that learning. That connection is fabulous, and they were able to share it with us,” Rosa said.
One of the most impactful speakers was Whitney Hice, a P-TECH graduate who moved on to take a job with Bush Industries in manufacturing furniture.
Hice was a Dunkirk student when she joined P-TECH and graduated from the high school portion of her educational pathway in 2019. Hice described how many of her classmates initially did not see themselves pursuing higher education. She was interested in exploring the pathways at the P-TECH Academy, in part, because of the opportunity to earn a degree without the cost or even the time constraints that a normal college pathway would require.
Myah Benjamin, a WNY P-TECH student in Dunkirk, looks on as State Education Department Commissioner Dr. Betty Rosa receives a custom charcuterie board gifted to her on a tour of the campus earlier this week. Rosa later described Benjamin as her “shero.”
Hice watched the P-TECH programs grow as she advanced in her education. She remembers touring the building in its infancy and seeing empty spaces as nothing more than a concept, a far cry from the facilities in place today.
“The excitement and the energy on that day alone was phenomenal. Everyone was so excited to actually see what the program was going to be,” Hice said.
Hice’s own career has advanced at a similar pace as her former campus. From an entry-level job just to get in the door, Hice has since taken on many roles at Bush Industries. She is now an administrator at the company, tasked with managing accounts with Walmart and Wayfair.
Rosa listened closely to what Hice and the current P-TECH students said. She was pleased to hear of the impact that shadowing other students had on prospective students before making the decision to enroll at P-TECH.
Students also have the chance to experience P-TECH through a summer bridge program leading into the school year, which Benjamin participated in. Benjamin said she “wasn’t sure what to expect” when she decided to attend P-TECH, but after the summer program, she entered the school year confident and comfortable.
Dr. Betty Rosa, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Education, proudly displays a custom charcuterie board gifted to her by WNY P-TECH students earlier this week.
Photos by Braden Carmen
Rosa was impressed with the sense of belonging that students took at P-TECH. The alternative education setting of P-TECH inspires students to take pride in their education in a way that students in traditional settings might not.
“This is home for them. This is a good place for them to be. They feel safe, they feel that they own this place, and that is an incredible, powerful way for students to talk about their education,” Rosa said.
Rosa, a former High School Principal, said she was in her element when she visited with the students. She was impressed with the diversity at P-TECH, recognizing that the demographics tend to skew toward males in many industries, such as welding and robotics.
Benjamin is an example that it does not have to be that way. She proudly wore a sparkling jacket to meet the commissioner, just as she wore pink to picture day while many of her fellow classmates wore plain, black or white clothing.
Benjamin said to herself, “I don’t need to give up my girlness just to fit in with these boys.”
Rosa said as soon as she pulled in that she wanted Benjamin’s outfit for herself. She said Benjamin’s passion “really comes through” in the way she carries herself. She was impressed that P-TECH provided an environment that allowed Benjamin to be herself.
On a tour of the campus, Rosa visited the welding shop, as well as electronics and robotics classrooms where students presented their work to the highest ranking officials in the state. Benjamin presented her robot to Rosa, featuring jewels in its design to make it uniquely her own. Rosa was also presented with a custom designed charcuterie board that students created for her to remember the occasion.
As nice as the gift was, Rosa was every bit as pleased to leave with the impression that students were taking their education seriously when it comes to becoming successful adults. “Not only are they learning, they are thinking about their future,” Rosa said. “They are thinking about economic development as part of their education.”
From Hice to Benjamin and the dozens of other students Rosa saw throughout the tour, P-TECH presented itself as a home for students who represent a new version of the portrait of a graduate, a concept that leaders in the field have stressed statewide through NY Inspires initiatives.
“What I saw today were portraits of the graduate,” Rosa said after her visit at P-TECH. “Personally, seeing the portraits of graduates here is inspirational. NY Inspires, they inspire.”