Maple Grove Hosts Virtual Ceremony for Students Pursuing Tech Careers

Every year at most high schools, the top athletes get together for a ceremony where they sign their letters of intent that indicate where they plan to continue their athletic careers.

But at Maple Grove Senior High, it’s not just the athletes who receive this special honor.

For the third consecutive year, Maple Grove students pursuing technical careers received a signing ceremony of their own.

“One-by-one, students please state your name and what career technical pathway you are pursuing,” said Mike Vecellio, Maple Grove’s college and career specialist during the event.

This year’s signing ceremony looks different than what took place last year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event had to take place virtually. But the idea came courtesy of Vecellio.

‘A Growing Demand’

“Due to the growing demand in our economy for workers in the trades, I felt like there was a need for this type of event in our school,” Vecellio said.

A common theme is that the students seem to know that they’re going into fields they’ll enjoy.

“There’s two different kind of attitudes, and I want to go to work and say, ‘Hey, I get to go play,'” said Gabriela Sundberg, a Maple Grove senior.

Sundberg is one of the seniors who was honored on Thursday. She’s planning to go to Hennepin Tech to pursue a career in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC).

“My ultimate plan is to be a technician for a few years then work into management and then maybe someday create my own business,” Sundberg said.

More than a dozen of her classmates also plan to pursue these so-called, non-traditional pathways. Vecellio is happy to do his part to give them the recognition they deserve.

“They should be very happy about this choice that they’re making, and I’m hoping that many of them will be successful in the pathway that they’ve chosen,” Vecellio said.

Maple Grove Senior High School

Maple Grove