District Five student named Career and Technical Education Champion of the Year

Lexington-Richland School District Five senior Ethan Bradley has been selected as the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Technology Champion of the Year for the Midlands.

Bradley is a student in the Firefighting Program at the Center for Advanced Technical Studies. He plans to attend college and pursue a degree in fire protection administration.

“I am honored to receive this recognition and it has helped to build my confidence,” Bradley said. “I am so thankful for all the people who have helped me succeed. This award is not just a representation of the work that I have put in, it is also the result of my teachers and school who have helped me along the way.”

The 2021 South Carolina Technology Champions are a select group of students who were identified by the South Carolina Department of Education Office of Career and Technology and the state’s Regional Career Specialists as the top career and technology education student in each of the 12 Regional areas. These award-winning youth are designated as “Technology Champions,” and will be recognized virtually at the annual Education and Business Summit in July. Bradley and the other winners receive a $250.00 award for continuing their education and a plaque of recognition.

“Ethan is an exceptional young man,” said Dr. Al Gates, director of the Center for Advanced Technical Studies. “He exemplifies the qualities and characteristics recognized as essential for post-secondary success. Ethan took advantage of the opportunities made available by the Firefighting program at The Center, including earning multiple internationally recognized credentials and participating in work-based learning with the Irmo Fire Department. We are very proud of Ethan and his accomplishments. He is very deserving of this recognition as Technology Champion of the Midlands. We wish Ethan the very best as he continues his study of emergency management at the college level.”