KTECH Mechatronics and KTECH VR students received their final certifications Tuesday at the annual KTECH awards banquet.
Abigail Gray, Dylan Kalman, Matthew Kern, Tessa Knelson, Jackson Lawson, Violeta Juan Pedro, and Daniel Waldrop all received their final Mechatronics certifications.
Jackson Lawson received the James Palmer Lindberg Jr. Trajectory Award that is given to the student with the highest scholastic achievement.
Violeta Juan Pedro was honored with the first Lawrence Haney Work Ethic Award, established in memory of KTECH Founder and CEO Lee Marshall’s father.
Violeta and Jackson also received scholarships to attend Calhoun Community College and continue their education.
KTECH VR students Jailynn Cavitt, Greyden Badgett, Manuel Thomason, and Marcus Thomason also received certifications for completing KTECH’s VR program.
Guest speaker at the event was Bill Roark, CEO and Founder of Starfish Holdings, parent company of Torch Technologies, which supports KTECH in many ways, including through KTECH’s Snap-on Tools certification program.
Roark told the students their education at KTECH was so much more than the coursework that they completed during the semester.
“All of you are learning how to problem solve, how to be resourceful, and how to make real tangible impact in the world,” Roark said. “These are skills that truly matter. They will make a difference.”
Roark also provided each student with a copy of his book, “Built with Purpose: How Our Employee-Owned Business Changed What it Means to Work and Why.”
