ONE OF the most important aspects of our school is the abundance of CTE/CTSO programs. These programs teach students hands-on, practical skills they can use in future careers. For example, one of the most popular programs is welding. In this program, the students are taught how to weld, which can translate into a future career in welding. Students from organizations such as TSA, SkillsUSA, and FCCLA visited the Capitol.
The leaders of these groups all met with members of the state legislature to request additional funding for CTE/CTSO programs in the Granite School District. This comes after years and years of budget cuts due to the legislature cutting taxes. Sen. Nate Blouin (D-13) expressed his frustration with these tax cuts, stating, “all these tax cuts only give the average Utah’n an extra $45.” Sen. Blouin is also currently running for the U.S. Congress in Utah’s first congressional district.
These students also met a variety of representatives from the Utah House of Representatives. The first one they met, Rep. John Arthur (D-41), actually took them on a private tour of the House of Representatives and told them all about his day-to-day business as a state representative in Utah.
“I enjoyed meeting the Utah Legislators and having the opportunity to speak with them regarding various concerns related to CTSO/CTE funding. As someone who wants to be a legislator at some point, it was a great insight and a good experience,” Sarinna Goleman (11) said. Goleman represents FCCLA and primarily spoke with Sen. Blouin.
“As a representative of TSA, the experience of advocating for more CTE funds to representatives and senators was a very interesting experience. Even though I’ve never been involved in politics, it was a fun experience to visit the capital and see its history,” Derian Reyes (12) said. Reyes primarily talked to Rep. Tyler Clancy (R-60) and Rep. Angela Romero (D-25).
“I really liked getting to meet the people at the capital. They weren’t scary, they were nice, and the whole building was beautiful,” Yuritzi Linares Vera (12) said. She represents Skills USA and spoke primarily with Rep. Clancy about homelessness, because Governor Cox appointed him to oversee solutions for homelessness, and Linares’s primary focus is on homelessness.
“As the CTE Visionaries President and Chapter Reporter for Granite Mountain FFA, my favorite thing about going to the legislature was being able to talk to the representatives and senators who care about education and CTE,” Isabella Warner (12) said. Warner primarily talked to Sen. Bluin about education.
None of this would have happened if it weren’t for Ms.Van Duyn. She organized the whole thing and took great care of the students by giving them snacks and drinks. Ms. Van Duyn really cares about education, how the government can help students, and advancements in science. It was Ms. Van Duyn’s connection to Rep. Arthur that led Granger’s student leaders to the Capitol.
