When you walk down the hall towards the attendance office you will see the CTE Wall of Fame and under construction you will see Maya Sandlin’s name. According to OSHA only 9% of the construction workforce are women. Tupelo High has a thriving career technical center that students have the opportunity to join and learn from and Sandlin took a chance on those opportunities. According to CTE principal, Mrs. Topp, there is a certain percentage of non-traditional students required in CTE. This percentage changes every academic year. 

“Being in construction class has taught me a variety of things. Being in construction not only teaches you the basics of construction, but it also teaches you a little about plumbing, electrical and masonry.” Sandlin said. 

Students can get many benefits from joining CTE programs and competitions. Sandling encourages students to think about CTE for a variety of reasons. 

“I think that is important for students to take a career tech class because it gives students a wider understanding of what they are going into as a career and are given a greater opportunity and a jumpstart to their career starting on what career you want now saves time for you in the future,” Sandlin said.