New Philadelphia, OH (February 5, 2026) – Two seniors from Buckeye Career Center’s Electrical Systems Technology program represented their school and lab at the annual Career and Technical Education (CTE) Student Showcase at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus on Wednesday, February 4, 2026.
Electrical Systems Technology students Robin Stevens, of New Philadelphia, and Kaitlyn Honor, a home-schooled student from Bolivar, were selected to participate in the statewide event, showcasing their program. The showcase is held annually during the CTE Legislative Seminar, which brings career and technical education superintendents to Columbus to speak with legislators about CTE priorities. The CTE Student Showcase, held in the atrium of the Ohio Statehouse, features displays from career centers across Ohio for visitors and state legislators to explore.
During the showcase, the students presented an interactive electrical switchboard demonstration along with programmable logic controllers (PLCs) used in their lab. The display allowed visitors to see how technology and computer-based programming are integrated into modern electrical training.
“We have a PLC trainer board that allows us to use computer software to program the PLC,” said Stevens. “A PLC is basically a computer that you can write programs in. A lot of our visitors were really interested and surprised by how much we use computers and technology to learn about electrical systems.”
Honor added that the experience helped build confidence and communication skills. “This experience is preparing me for the future because I’m not super talkative, but I enjoy talking about things I’m passionate about. It’s nice knowing people wanted to hear what we had to say. I’m not sure exactly what I want to do in the future yet, but I’m excited to find out.”
Officials from State Senator Al Landis’ office interacted with the students, along with visits from State Representative Jodi Salvo and State Representative Mark Hiner. Hiner spoke with the students about his personal experiences in electrical engineering.
“I remember wiring circuits back in junior high, and this is fantastic,” Hiner said. “We need people in the trades because we have shortages everywhere. We have projects to build all across the state, and we don’t have enough people to build them. We need more of this.”
The students were accompanied by Electrical Systems Technology instructor Tim Septer and Buckeye Career Center Principal Matt Fockler, along with other Buckeye Career Center administrators.
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