For the first time, Leeward Community College held National Career and Technical Education (CTE) Letter of Intent Signing Day on April 10, to honor 50 students who are entering a CTE field of study for the 2025–26 school year. It was part of a national movement, with more than 100 other institutions across the country holding similar signing ceremonies.
“Finally, I have something in my life that I can work towards,” said Dexter Yago, an incoming culinary arts student. “At the beginning of my freshman year, I didn’t know what I was doing. I was really hoping at the end of my senior year that I would find something, and I did—Leeward CC Culinary Arts.”
At the event, students and their family members also had the opportunity to meet with program faculty, staff and administrators before starting classes in the fall.
“By signing our incoming students to Letters of Intent, we are acknowledging their commitment to their education and reaffirming the college’s commitment to providing them with the resources, training, and support necessary to get them job ready,” said Chancellor Carlos Peñaloza.
“These students are the future of Hawaiʻi’s workforce, and it’s exciting to witness their journey.”
The incoming students will learn skills in accounting, automotive technology, business, culinary arts, digital media, health information technology, human services, information and computer science, mechatronics, sustainable agriculture and teacher education.
“Today’s signing ceremony is a pivotal moment for our students and our community,” said Ron Umehira, dean of Career and Technical Education. “By committing to a CTE program, these students are not only preparing themselves for rewarding careers, but they’re also helping to build a skilled workforce that will contribute to the economic growth of Hawaiʻi.”
The CTE Signing Day event also featured a keynote address by Mark Perna, a bestselling author and generational expert, who spoke about the importance of education in economic development and community growth.
The CTE Office oversees business, professional arts, and technology programs at Leeward CC, which collectively serve more than 900 students annually. The CTE Office also oversees the non-credit programs in the Office of Workforce Development, which serves more than 3,000 students annually, and the Waiʻanae Moku Education Center, which serves more than 500 students—a majority of whom are Native Hawaiians.
—by Devon Bedoya
