Author: Central Tech
Central Tech Cosmetology Instructor Monica Frick was honored April 20 with the Marsha Daves Lifetime Achievement Award during the SkillsUSA State Leadership Conference in Tulsa. The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a lifetime of service, leadership, and dedication to SkillsUSA and career and technical education.
Frick teaches Cosmetology on Central Tech’s Drumright campus and was selected for the prestigious honor based on her long-standing commitment to students, mentorship, and servant leadership within SkillsUSA. Recipients of the Marsha Daves Lifetime Achievement Award exemplify sustained excellence and have made a meaningful, lasting impact at the local, state, and national levels.
“Monica Frick is one of the most passionate educators on our staff,” said Shane Bruce, Drumright Campus Director. “Her love for cosmetology, her dedication to teaching, and her genuine care for students make her an exceptional instructor. She pours her heart into every lesson and every student, and her pride in Central Technology Center is evident in everything she does. Monica doesn’t just teach cosmetology—she inspires confidence, builds futures, and changes lives.”
The award is named in honor of Marsha Daves, a respected leader and advocate for career and technical education who devoted decades of service to SkillsUSA. Her legacy includes leadership at both the state and national levels and a lifelong commitment to empowering students and educators through SkillsUSA programming.
Frick’s connection to SkillsUSA spans both her professional career and her time as a student. As a postsecondary competitor, she earned a first-place national finish in Extemporaneous Speaking at the SkillsUSA National Leadership Conference – an experience that helped shape her passion for leadership development and student advocacy.
Through her continued involvement in SkillsUSA, Frick has helped guide students in developing strong technical abilities while also building confidence, professionalism and leadership skills that prepare them for success beyond the classroom.
“I want to thank my daughter, Lilly Allen, who teaches at Moore-Norman Technology Center, for nominating me,” Frick said. “This award is especially meaningful because Marsha Daves was the SkillsUSA advisor over cosmetology when I served as a state officer. Her leadership and teaching style shaped the way I mentor students today and continue to influence how I lead in the classroom.”
Central Tech proudly congratulates Monica Frick on this well-deserved honor and thanks her for her many years of service to students and the cosmetology program. Her commitment to hands-on instruction, leadership development, and SkillsUSA reflects Central Tech’s mission that everyone achieves success.
Author: Central Tech
Students from Central Tech’s Drumright and Sapulpa campuses delivered an outstanding showing at the SkillsUSA State Leadership Conference, held April 19–21 in Tulsa, Okla., earning an impressive total of gold, silver, and bronze medals across 17 team and individual competitions.
Four teams and six individual students captured first-place finishes, securing advancement to the SkillsUSA National Leadership Conference, scheduled for June 1–5, 2026, in Atlanta, Ga. These results reflect students’ exceptional preparation and performance in categories spanning job skill development, entrepreneurship, community action and program-specific competitions, as they competed against peers from across Oklahoma.
SkillsUSA is a national organization representing more than 444,000 career and technical education students and educators at the middle school, high school and postsecondary levels. The organization integrates hands-on, industry-aligned training with leadership and workplace skill development through its SkillsUSA Framework.
Offering competitions in more than 100 occupational areas, SkillsUSA helps students build technical expertise while strengthening critical employability skills such as teamwork, communication, and professionalism. Since 1965, SkillsUSA has supported more than 15 million students nationwide, helping prepare a highly skilled workforce.
Central Tech congratulates its SkillsUSA competitors on their success and looks forward to cheering them on as they represent Oklahoma on the national stage.
Author: Central Tech
46 Central Tech health students from the Drumright and Sapulpa campuses recently demonstrated their skills and professionalism at the HOSA–Future Health Professionals State Leadership Conference, held April 6–8 in Norman, Oklahoma.
Competing against students from across the state, Central Tech students earned a total of five medals in individual events, bringing home gold, silver, and bronze honors. Their success reflects both their dedication and the high standards of Central Tech’s health programs.
Two students achieved first‑place finishes in their respective events, qualifying them to advance to the HOSA National Leadership Conference, which will be held June 17–20 in Indianapolis, Indiana. This national competition brings together top-performing students from across the country and represents the highest level of achievement within HOSA.
HOSA–Future Health Professionals is an international student organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education that prepares students for careers in healthcare through leadership development, hands‑on competition, and service opportunities. Participation in HOSA allows students to apply classroom knowledge in real‑world scenarios while building confidence, teamwork, and professional skills essential to the healthcare field.
Throughout the conference, Central Tech students showcased their expertise across a variety of healthcare-related categories, earning recognition from judges and peers alike. Their accomplishments highlight the strength of Central Tech’s health education programs and the commitment of students and instructors to excellence.
Author: Central Tech
Starting in the 2026–2027 school year, Central Tech will offer a new career program for high school juniors and seniors at the Drumright campus: Teacher Prep. The program is designed to give students a clear understanding of the teaching profession, meaningful classroom experience, and the confidence to pursue an education degree.
The new pathway comes at a time when Oklahoma continues to face a persistent need for trained teachers. “Our new Teacher Prep program helps address the critical need for passionate, well-prepared educators. By investing in future teachers now, we’re strengthening our local schools and building a brighter future for the students they will one day serve,” said Pam Whittenburg, assistant campus director.
Central Tech leaders say the program reflects a broader focus on strengthening the educator pipeline across the region. “Central Tech’s new Teacher Prep Program creates a career-aligned pathway with hands-on opportunities for aspiring teachers, showing our commitment to strengthening the regional teacher pipeline. This program also reflects our ongoing dedication to supporting the workforce needs of the communities we serve,” said LaDonna Gear, assistant superintendent.
Shane Bruce, Drumright Campus Director, emphasized the long-term impact of the program for students and schools alike. “Central Tech’s Teacher Prep program is more than a pathway – it’s a launchpad for the next generation of educators. By giving high school students real classroom experience and professional training, we are not only helping them turn their passion into a career, but also addressing Oklahoma’s critical need for more qualified teachers,” Bruce said.
This one-year program begins with a fall semester focused on hands-on learning and an inside look at the K–12 education system. Students will explore education through engaging lessons, projects and collaboration while studying topics such as foundations of education, child and adolescent development, classroom management, and educational ethics and professional conduct.
In the spring semester, students will shift into real-world experience through an internship in a partner K–12 school, working alongside licensed teachers to support classroom learning and gain day-to-day insight into the profession.
Central Tech is currently accepting applications for the first Teacher Prep class beginning in August 2026 at the Drumright campus. To learn more or apply for Teacher Prep here.
Author: Central Tech
Zach Ihle’s career story began at Central Tech and, if he has his way, it will end here, too. An instructor in the Industrial Automation program, Ihle knows he’s exactly where he’s meant to be.
Like many young people, when Ihle graduated high school, he headed straight to college. Also like many young people, he realized, after a couple of years, that the degree he’s been pursuing wasn’t working out for him. “So, I moved back to Bristow, which is where I’m from,” Ihle says.
He hadn’t attended Central Tech in high school but knew there were classes for adults, too, so he took a tour. “I found the Industrial Automation program. Growing up on a farm, I’d always worked with my dad, working my hands and tools and things like that, and that mechatronics program kind of aligned with my interest.”
The day he completed his course, Ihle got some big news. “A company in Mannford had called my instructor looking for an industrial maintenance technician, which aligned with my program, so I went to work in industry that very next week.”
Ten years passed, and Ihle, happy in a good career, saw a teaching job opening in his field at Central Tech. “I came in and interviewed, and I thought, you know, I’ve been in industry for 10 years, and thought it’s pretty cool to come back and keep a program that kind of taught me my trade, that is, so that’s kind of how I came to work at Central Tech.”
For Ihle, and for thousands of other Central Tech alums, it’s much more than a school. Central Tech is a driving force in the community. “I would say come and tour and see the lives that we’re changing here at Central Tech in every program, not just mine, every program. You can’t go to a hospital without one of the nurses having come through one of our nursing programs here. Or take your vehicle somewhere, and there’s an automotive technician that’s had some training here at Central Tech. We’re truly changing lives.”
Author: Central Tech
Over three days, Central Tech students from the Digital Media and Business & Information Technology programs on both campuses took their skills to Tulsa to compete in this year’s Business Professionals of America (BPA) State Leadership Conference. Held March 2–4, in Tulsa, the conference gives business students the opportunity to demonstrate the workplace skills they’ve learned in the classroom across 90 competitive categories under six assessment areas.
BPA is a national career and technical student organization (CTSO) for students preparing for careers in business management, information technology, finance, office administration, health administration, and related fields. With more than 45,000 members, BPA supports classroom learning through co-curricular activities aligned to national standards. The organization focuses on leadership development, community service and career readiness, and its signature Workplace Skills Assessment Program allows students to demonstrate real-world business and technology skills at the regional, state, and national levels.
Collectively, Central Tech students earned 19 gold, silver, and bronze medals in team and individual competitions. Notably, 1 team and 3 individuals secured first-place finishes, advancing them to the BPA National Leadership Conference scheduled for May 6-10 in Nashville, TN.
Author: Central Tech
A quick message from a friend at the Cleveland Fire Department turned into a hands-on welding project at Central Tech when student Tegun Ware suggested the department bring its brush truck and flatbed to the school for installation.
Three welding students, Landon Fisher (Drumright High School), Ben Whitsett (Yale High School), and Ware (Cleveland High School), spent the week fabricating brackets, prepping the frame, and solving fit issues to complete the job. The project gave the students real-world experience while saving the fire department several hundred dollars in materials and labor. Central Tech provided all the materials needed to install the flatbed on the truck.
Fisher said the team quickly realized the truck didn’t fit the bed as expected, but they used their welding training to adapt and find a solution. “You have to really think about what kind of brackets you want to build,” he said. “It takes a lot of knowledge, a lot of thinking, and a lot of math to get that correct.”
Whitsett said he enjoyed contributing to a community partner. “I was glad to help out a fire department,” he said.
Fisher added that seeing the finished work was the best part. “I like seeing our work pay off, and I like seeing it go down the road looking good.”
The flatbed is now in service as Cleveland Fire’s Brush 2 truck and includes a 200-gallon water tank. The upgraded truck gives the department the ability to get water into hard-to-reach areas when responding to grass fires.
Central Tech students regularly complete hands-on projects that build technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and confidence, helping prepare them for high-demand industry jobs. Each project is carefully reviewed by the program instructor to ensure it aligns with the curriculum and the current skill level of the class.
Author: Central Tech
January is National Blood Donor Month, and while it is a time to recognize the lifesaving generosity of blood donors, it is also an opportunity to highlight the individual training to safely collect those donations. Through classes like Phlebotomy, Medical Assisting, and Advanced Health Careers, students learn essential skills for collecting and handling blood donations. Central Tech also hosts multiple blood drives each year to support community needs.
Before the drive, students help recruit donors and register them. During the Central Tech blood drives, Advanced Health Careers students staff the sign-in table and serve as runners for ice packs, drinks, and snacks. They also receive training on how to respond if a donor begins to feel faint or loses consciousness.
“We learn how to glove and wash your hands properly, and we learn what to do if someone passes out,” said Jacelyn Henigh, an Advanced Health Careers Student from Mannford High School. She added that students practice working with a variety of patient types, including children, teenagers, and adults.
“It gives us the skills and training to get ready for the real world,” said Lanie Wells, an Advanced Health Careers Student from Stroud High School. “You get to see the actual things that can happen.”
Wells emphasized the importance of blood donation. “Transfusions are a lot more common than people think. It’s a constant need.” She also shared appreciation for Central Tech’s support of the drives: “It shows they care about hosting this and about helping us gain the hands-on experience we need, instead of just hearing about it in a book.”
Advanced Health Careers Insructor Brand Fisher encourages more people to donate. “It doesn’t take long, and it’s just a quick pinch,” she said. “The shortage is critical, and one pint can potentially save three lives. It’s an incredible feeling knowing you can do that.” Blood donation is a small act that makes a huge impact. According to Our Blood Institute, in the U.S., someone needs blood every two seconds.
If you are interested in learning more about this career field, Central Tech also offers a Phlebotomy class at both the Drumright and Sapulpa campuses throughout the year.
Author: Central Tech
Join us on Sunday, February 15th from 1 p.m.-4 p.m., as you step inside Central Tech for an afternoon of hands-on fun and discovery. This free event happens on both campuses and is packed with activities for all ages.
Get ready to see how Central Tech uses the latest technology to prepare students for high-demand careers. You can explore classrooms, meet instructors, and experience live demonstrations and hands-on activities that bring learning to life.
NOT YOUR AVERAGE OPEN HOUSE
This isn’t just a walkthrough; it’s an experience! Try virtual welding, join an Esports game, or check your blood sugar for free. With more than 70 activities, live demonstrations, and even a car show on the Drumright campus, there is something for you. Enjoy free pop and popcorn while supplies last! Plus, don’t miss your chance to win our grand prize, a potting bench built by Construction students, at both campuses! Be sure to register when you arrive.
WHY IT MATTERS
“Open House is the perfect opportunity for future students, parents, business owners, and community members to see our programs in action and experience them firsthand,” said Kent Burris, superintendent of Central Tech. “This event shows how we’re shaping tomorrow’s workforce by providing exceptional training and real-world opportunities in the classroom.”
CELEBRATING CAREERTECH MONTH
February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, and as an Oklahoma Association of Career and Technology Education (OkACTE) Gold Star School, Central Tech proudly showcases programs that help you succeed and businesses grow.
The Gold Star award recognizes technology center districts that meet strict and demanding criteria, demonstrating a high level of excellence in serving students, businesses, and the community.
Our Workforce and Economic Development team is on-site to share how we help companies stay competitive with customized training in areas like oil and gas, agribusiness, safety and OSHA compliance, and more. Stop by the seminar center to learn how we can help your business thrive.
JOIN THE FUN
Central Tech’s Open House is free and open to the public. Whether you’re exploring career options, looking for skilled talent, or just want a fun day out, this is an event you won’t want to miss.
Activities, food, prices, and giveaways vary by campus and are available while supplies last.
Author: Central Tech
For the 11th year in a row, Central Technology Center has been named one of Oklahoma’s Top Workplaces by The Oklahoman.
This statewide recognition is based entirely on feedback from Central Tech employees through an anonymous survey conducted by Energage, LLC, a third-party employee engagement company. The survey measures key areas of employee experience, including feeling respected and supported, opportunities for growth, and empowerment to achieve success.
“Earning a Top Workplaces award is a badge of honor for companies, especially because it comes authentically from their employees,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “That’s something to be proud of. In today’s market, leaders must ensure they’re allowing employees to have a voice and be heard. That’s paramount. Top Workplaces do this, and it pays dividends.”
Superintendent Kent Burris said this honor reflects the culture that Central Tech employees have built together.
“Central Tech is more than a workplace, it’s a community where people care about each other and believe in the power of what we do,” said Burris. “Our employees live our mission every day by helping students, businesses, and communities succeed. This recognition belongs to every team member who makes Central Tech a great place to work and grow.”
Central Tech’s continued recognition as a Top Workplace highlights its commitment to a positive, people-first culture where everyone achieves success.