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Nashua North CTE director earns leadership award

By Grace Pecci - Staff Writer | Apr 11, 2019

NASHUA – Nashua Technology Center North Director Amanda Bastoni was recognized Wednesday morning as the recipient of the first New Hampshire Career Technical Education Leader of the Year Award.

Bastoni has only been in her position for a short time, but already is leaving her mark, as she was honored for her significant contributions.

Jen Haskins, secretary of the New Hampshire CTE Director Association and co-chair of the CTE award committee, who presented Bastoni with a banner Wednesday on behalf of the state, said she was portrayed by peers and professionals around her as a “powerhouse of positive change” for both the CTE department and the district.

“(Bastoni works) tirelessly to involve teaching staff with innovative program designs and revisions to make our department visible and viable within the district. (She is) a fierce advocate for students in the variety of CTE programs offered in our district,” Haskins said of Bastoni.

Her efforts in training staff, problem solving, efforts in aligning CTE curriculum with middle and high schools and work with building industry partnerships was acknowledged as well.

“This individual was described by one of their teachers as somebody who embodies all the best qualities of a supervisor or administrator and is honored to work with them,” Haskins added.

Bastoni, teary-eyed, said, “I was not expecting this,” adding, “I really love being here in Nashua, that’s all I have to say.”

Bastoni’s counterpart, Nashua Technology Center South Director Mike McQuilkin, said working with her has been great.

“I’ve really enjoyed the past six months or so, trying to build up our programs and collaborating to work hard to make our center the best it can be, that includes increasing enrollment, industry partnerships, finding opportunities for kids, creating innovative classes like robot algebra, targeting special populations. It’s been a really good partnership,” McQuilkin said.

Since Bastoni’s arrival in the district, she’s helped with numerous advances, including bringing a VEX Robot Algebra 1 class to life, which is a CTE-based Algebra I course for the 2019-20 academic term that will offer credits in both VEX Robotics and Algebra 1 to freshmen who have not yet taken Algebra 1, and who also are looking for a more hands-on way of learning. She’s also helped bring a Girls in STEAM pilot program that focuses on drawing young women to the fields of science, technology, engineering, art and math, while using drones.

Bastoni and McQuilkin are continuously moving in a direction to strengthen Nashua’s CTE programs, beyond where they already are, officials said.

Bastoni will be recognized with an official award and certificate in August at the New Hampshire CTE Conference, and will be given a banner to be displayed at Nashua High School North for the 2019 school year.

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

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