As keynote speaker at the most recent Franklin County Technical School Program Advisory Committee meeting Melissa Leary McClaflin said it took a “massive” decision for her at age 13 to come to the school.
Now a union electrician with IBEW Local 7 working with Collins Electric, McClaflin did a lot of soul searching and asked herself a number of questions before she came to a decision that would change the course of her life. “What if I do something different? Change schools? Change friends? Change the life I knew?”
“This school gave us the opportunity to be successful,” she concluded.
The Spring PAC meeting was held on Thursday, May 1 with a dinner for PAC members, School Committee members, teachers, administrators, parents and students. Plaques reading, "In Appreciation of your Service and Support to FCTS!" were awarded to McClaflin, Todd Weed, Bailey Sisson, Sayre Anthony, Dr. Amy Tuominen, and Mark Thomas.
The Program Advisory Committee meets twice a school year to get updates and to offer advice to vocational programs. The PAC is largely made up of industry professionals, and include students, and others who work toward bettering the vocational programs.
Following the dinner and plaque ceremony, PAC members met with teachers in their respective vocational areas to discuss various topics related to each shop, including budget planning, program recommendations, student Capstone projects and more.
McClaflin, a 2013 graduate, came to Franklin County Tech to study Graphic Design but decided that she wanted a more hands-on experience. Besides Electrical, she enjoyed exploring the Carpentry and Plumbing and Heating programs.
As a girl in Northfield, McClaflin got years of practice in the trades working alongside her father, who fixed cars and was a handyman.
“We all are here with similar stories,” she said. “We made the decision to come FCTS as teenagers. We have lived that decision with pride. We are the American Dream.”
McClaflin reflected that she was speaking in the cafeteria she first visited 16 years ago, and while the faces change, the mission of the school remains the same, “vocational education. Excellence. Growth through professionalism. Advancement of knowledge.”
She acknowledged that it was inspiring to see the addition of new programs and updating of existing shops.
“I thank the teachers and administrators for continuing on this path forward, producing more success stories like me,” McClaflin said.