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New NTC directors aim to keep progressing

By Grace Pecci - Staff Writer | Oct 12, 2018

NASHUA – The Nashua Technology Center recently welcomed two new directors with diverse backgrounds in education and a passion for spreading the word about career and technical education (CTE).

The center offers 19 programs that bring real-world, hands-on experience to students at Nashua High School North and Nashua High School South.

Amanda Bastoni serves as director of the center for the North high school. Before settling into her position as a director last year, she worked various other jobs.

Bastoni has been involved in education for 14 years, teaching students ranging in level from preschool to high school. She is a Keene State College graduate and received her master’s degree in creative writing. She is currently enrolled in a doctoral program at New England College, and is set to graduate in May.

“The Nashua students are eager to learn,” Bastoni said. “They have really unique perspectives because it’s an urban school in a rural state. I think that working in Nashua has given me some tremendous experiences I wouldn’t have in other schools and I think the students are fantastic.”

She also said one of her favorite parts of working as a director is helping remove the barriers teachers may face.

“I believe they should be treated as professionals, and if they are struggling, it’s my job to remove the barrier so they can be successful,” Bastoni said.

“The relationship between students and teachers is important. If your teacher feels supported by administration, they’ll feel free to experiment with learning and pass it on to students.”

Bastoni’s passion for CTE comes from seeing the importance of education and outside experiences. Many teachers, along with herself, in the CTE program come from outside industries. For the future of the CTE programs, Bastoni said she hopes to see how they can embed core academic credits, such as math and English, into CTE. She also said she hopes more students take advantage of the program.

Michael McQuilkin is the technology center director for the south high school. His main goal is to increase CTE’s exposure in the community. Within this, he has already began working with Nashua’s various middle schools.

He and Bastoni are also looking into potential new programs that can be brought to the CTE programs, such as protective services, which would cover fields such as law enforcement, human services, social work and criminal justice. Another goal McQuilkin has is getting around, being visible, and meeting with teachers and students. He said these interactions are the best part of the job.

McQuilkin said he knows education is not “one size fits all.” That’s the benefit of talking courses in the CTE programs, McQuilkin said.

“We should push students to think about different ideas and different careers that are out there – and not to spend thousands of dollars on college if they are unsure of the career they want to get into. I think it’s so important that kids understand the options they have,” he said.

For McQuilkin, being one of the directors at NTC has been rewarding.

“I love it,” McQuilkin said. “The best part is getting into the classrooms and the labs to see all the great things that are happening, the different projects students are working on, and the great staff we have here. I’m blessed to be working with great people.”

Grace Pecci can be reached at 594-1243, or gpecci@nashuatelegraph.com.

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