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Student Voice: Career and Technical Education in Puerto Rico – ED.gov Blog

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By: Eliomar Santiago Rodriguez, Senior Student at Antonio Luchetti Vocational High School in Arecibo, Puerto Rico 

I am a 12th grade student of the Electricity with the Programmer Logical Controller (PLC) and Renewable Energy workshop at the Antonio Luchetti Vocational High School in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.

My education has definitely prepared me to pursue a successful career. Through the three years that I have been studying electricity at the Antonio Luchetti Vocational High School, I have been able to acquire knowledge with teachers and faculty of high caliber, which have prepared and enabled me to have a successful career. Beyond providing me quality education, the teachers have been a great support as well. For example, a teacher of mine often translates academic material from English to Spanish so that when students receive the material, it’s easier for us to understand it. 

I chose the PLC and Renewable Energy workshop mainly because there are electricians in my family, including my father and grandfather. When I visited the workshop at the open house, I really liked the work area and that motivated me to become part of the team. 

Eliomar, a student from a Puerto Rico Vocational High School is holding a medal in front of a SkillsUSA step and repeat after winning second place in an Electrical Construction Wiring competition.

Being admitted to the vocational school for me represented a crucial new stage in my life. Getting into the school definitely helped me define and fine-tune my vocational and work interests in electricity and electrical engineering.  

After graduation, I plan to take the certification test to become a certified and licensed electrician. After this, my goal is to complete my undergraduate studies in Electrical Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico, Arecibo Campus with an articulated transfer to the University of Mayagüez (UPRM/RUM/Colegio de Mayagüez), where I was recently admitted. 

I believe it’s of the utmost importance that students have access to Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs so that they leave school as professionals. These programs provide students with valuable experiences, whether through student organizations, orientations, institutions we can visit, opportunities to expose ourselves to the field of work, among many more. I also believe that having knowledge of different languages is important for students to leave school as professionals. In order to do this, further emphasis should be placed on the importance of knowing different languages. That is, inside and outside the classroom, teachers should inform students about the opportunities that can come with being proficient in multiple languages.  

To any student who is considering taking any kind of technical or vocational course, I would say that it is a tremendous tool to train efficiently and quickly. I can say from my own experience that I have been able to have many opportunities inside and outside school that have prepared me to enter the workforce. From theoretical exams, practical labs, and even competitions at the regional, state, and national levels, there are evaluation instruments that guarantee students a hands-on practice that is based on what we will find in the real-world work environment. 

In addition, I’ve had the opportunity to gain hands-on practice through various competitions. As of right now, I am representing Puerto Rico in competitions through my involvement with SkillsUSA. I am also a member of the student organization Future Farmers of America (FFA). These are two different Career and Technical Education Student Organizations (CTSO) that I am proud to be involved in. 

This year is my second year competing in the Electrical Construction Wire competition., The SkillsUSA state competitions were held in February, where I won 1st place at the state level. Soon, I travelled to Atlanta, Georgia to represent Puerto Rico in the national competitions with the national delegation of Puerto Rico. Another noteworthy experience was my participation in the high-voltage television program. This was a television program produced by Counterpart Productions and broadcasted through the tv/radio station of WIPR. In this program, challenges created by certified electrical experts were carried out in which the participating students had to demonstrate their skills in different tasks that we commonly see when working. In this project I had the pleasure of meeting the current president of the college of electrical experts Frances Berríos, the president of continuing education Gilberto Agosto, and the secretary of the school Justiniano García. These three were the jury of the program where my school, Antonio Luchetti Vocational High School took first place. 

Eliomar, a student from a Puerto Rico Vocational High School is holding a medal in front of a SkillsUSA step and repeat after winning second place in an Electrical Construction Wiring competition.

I have a very special thank you to all the people who have accompanied me through the study process. Especially to my electricity teacher Imel Adorno, my parents, friends, teachers, and all the staff who have accompanied me through all these important moments in my life. Without the support I received from all of them, the story would not be the same. I am eternally grateful to them for being with me through good and bad times, for giving me a guiding nudge, and for motivating me to do my best. 

Puerto Rico is full of opportunities; we may be small on land but big on heart.

Eliomar Santiago Rodriguez is a graduating student at Antonio Luchetti Vocational High School in Arecibo, Puerto Rico where he studied Electricity. He participated on SkillsUSA competitions and is a member of Future Farmers of America (FFA) and two different Career and Technical Education Student Organizations (CTSO). He was recently admitted to the Electrical Engineering program at the University of Puerto Rico.


If you would like to learn more about career-connected pathways, please visit: https://cte.ed.gov/ and https://cte.ed.gov/unlocking-career-success/home  

To learn more about efforts to support multilingualism, please visit: https://ncela.ed.gov/ and https://www.ed.gov/raisethebar/pathways-for-global-engagement  

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U.S. Department of Education

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