AUGUSTA — Capital Area Technical Center has announced its January professionals of the month.

Maleah Manson of Gardiner, a junior at Gardiner Area High School, is enrolled in the center’s Certified Nursing Assistant program. She has enjoyed learning in the lab, and then applying those skills she learned in her clinical experiences, according to a news release from the center. She says she loves her classmates that come from different high schools, because they have a shared interest in the medical field.

Her instructor, Bethany Gilliam, called Manson “a wonderful addition to the CNA program. She is friendly, intelligent, task oriented and helps remind her classmates of upcoming events. I am certain Maleah will achieve any and all goals that she sets for herself.”

When not in school, Manson has a part-time job and competes with an all-star cheerleading team. She has a longterm goal of becoming a registered nurse anesthetist.

Nathaniel Solorzano of Jefferson, a senior at Erskine Academy in South China, is enrolled for the second year in the center’s plumbing and heating program. He is proud of the furnace he helped install in the program, as well as installing a heater. He has liked working in teams, as he knows this is similar to the workplace.

His instructor, Nicholas Smith, said Solorzano “works hard every day in the shop and in the classroom. He is a quiet leader in our class. His work ethic does not go unnoticed and he was voted on by his classmates to receive this award. Nate is not only student of the month, but has been a great student for his entire two years in the program.”

Outside of school, he works a part-time job, and is on the academy wrestling team. He also participates in a physical training program with the United States Marines. He has enlisted in the Marines and will leave for Basic Training after graduation.

The center’s Alumni Spotlight shines on Cody Beaudoin, a 2016 graduate of Erskine Academy. He attended two years of the machine tool with welding program at the center. He was recruited by a local machine shop as a senior in high school and started working for them while still in school at the academy.

After high school, he attended Kennebec Valley Community College, where he received his associate degree in precision machining. While at KVCC, he started working for Kennebec Technologies in Augusta. He worked full-time at Kennebec Technologies while taking advantage of its tuition reimbursement program.

After KVCC, he went on to Central Maine Community College and earned an Advanced Certificate in precision machining. After CMCC, he went to the University of Southern Maine, where he’s just a handful of credits away from earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in technology management. His position with Kennebec Technologies is as a machinist/quality inspector.

“Capital Area Technical Center was the best choice I could have made for my education,” Beaudoin said. “It allowed me to enter the workforce right out of high school, which in turn allowed me to obtain higher education debt-free. Although it may be considered an untraditional route to higher education I believe it was the best route. I was able to take advantage of the tuition reimbursement program Kennebec Technologies offered while working full time. This allowed me to avoid the national student debt crisis which has plagued many of my peers.”

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