February 21, 2025 — Columbus City Schools (CCS) welcomed 250 talented Career-Technical Education (CTE) students to the District’s first-ever Career Technical Student Organization Competition. The event showcased students' skills in a series of hands-on challenges, fostering creativity, collaboration, and career readiness. It was a day filled with energy, competition, and inspiration as future professionals put their talents to the test.

“Quite often in school when we talk about career readiness, students are experiencing those events with their teacher or at the school level,” said CCS Career-Technical Education Director Jennifer Meade. “An event like this brings industry partners into a commonplace so we're at an event that's not in a school building.” 

Taking place at the Ohio Expo Center, top-tier industry professionals from across the Columbus community volunteered to judge our students in different CTE groups. The categories evaluated include: 

• Interview Skills
• Advanced Interview Skills
• Career Pathway Showcase
• Extemporaneous Speaking
• Job Skill Demonstration
• Personal Financial Literacy
• Graphic Design Promotion

With 35 industry partners ready to volunteer, the community came out in full force for the inaugural competition.

“All of our judges are industry professionals,” Meade said. “When I asked for volunteers, I got a gigantic list. Community support has made this event possible.”

All students who are in CTE programs are members of a career and technical student organization (CTSO). According to Meade, the two most common CTSOs for CCS students are Business Professionals of America and Skills USA. However, CCS also has students participating in groups such as Educators Rising; Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA); National FFA Organization; and DECA.

“Students are competing, they're getting feedback from professionals, and they're leaving here more confident and ready to enter the workforce,” Meade said. “This could be similar to a large hiring event that they would be participating in.”

Chrestelle Bikopopo and Genijah Varner, seniors at East High School, participated in the competition. Both have been accepted to The Ohio State University with plans to study nursing.

The students presented a showcase about East’s health science pathways to practice their presentation skills. Despite getting the anxious jitters ahead of their showcase, they powered through and impressed the judges.

“It went well, better than we expected,” Bikopopo said.

“We were very, very nervous,” Varner added. “But the judges were nice. They worked with us because they knew we were nervous.” 

Bikopopo and Varner were judged by a panel of experts, Ohio Department of Commerce Human Capital Management Senior Analyst Molly Williams, Columbus Children's Theater Marketing and Engagement Coordinator Brooke Styles, and Educational Service Center of Central Ohio Work-based Learning Coordinator John Hambrick.

“As the governor's initiative for the CTE program within the state of Ohio, this is my first time doing an event that is supporting the CTE initiative,” Williams said. “I was interested to come and see what the schools are actually doing so that I can go to other career fairs and seek out students that are going to be fit for new hires for our jobs within the state of Ohio once they’re out of high school.”

The judges were impressed with how much detail went into their presentation as well as how they brought CTE to life.

“I mean, really and truly, it's just exciting to see the passion that [the students] bring to each of their pathways and the different passions that exist within one pathway,” Styles said.

Hambrick appreciates the emphasis on CTE exploration and development, and said the outlook for the industry is “very optimistic.”

“We are in good hands with the students that we've seen,” Hambrick said.

Competitors and volunteers alike left the competition feeling inspired. Bikopopo and Varner agree that pursuing a career in the CTE space is worthwhile.

“I feel more prepared to go to school to become a nurse because I've learned things in the classes that are helpful,” Bikopopo said.

Meade hopes to draw in even more students next year to continue to grow and develop the event for years to come.

“I think it's a great way for kids to get a head start on their career,” Varner said.

To learn more about Career-Technical Education in Columbus City Schools, visit the district's website for more information.