Congratulations to the Walker Valley High School CTE Student of the Year Finalists!!!

MariLiis Bateman

CTE Student of the Year Finalist

MariLiis Bateman has spent her time studying Sport and Human Performance during her time at Walker Valley, where she is a state honors graduate graduating with distinction. Her leadership has been displayed within several programs at Walker Valley. She has worked diligently with clubs such as BETA, National Honors Society, and HOSA for many service hours projects. Additionally, her leadership lives within the legacy of Walker Valley’s food pantry. As an officer and first president of the club, she helped establish a firm system to provide food and snacks for students who are in need. Most significantly, she is known for her leadership outside of school by teaching a taekwondo program to inner city kids with low incomes. 

She lives by the motto, “Be the change you wish to see in the world!” That is evident in her community service.  She is active with “Feeding The Valley” where she gives back to students who are in need of food.  Through Beta club, she has participated in many service opportunities to further build our community. These events include basketball game concessions, serving at Salvation Army dinners, club presentations, trunk or treats, aiding supplies to inmates, and Operation Christmas Child. She has assisted behind the scenes operations to aid in the success of the NHS Food Bank Community Food Drive.  With HOSA, she has assisted the community through medically based service opportunities such as blood drives and inner club fundraisers.

 She has completed her clinical hours at Benchmark Physical therapy, where she assisted a physical therapist with daily tasks.  Very active in HOSA, she participated by representing the club in competition at state and regionals (2019 Physical Therapy regionals: 3rd, states, 2020 Physical Therapy regionals: 1st place). While enrolled in Clinicals, MariLiis was able to achieve her clinical medical assistant certification.  Career-wise, her medical assistant license exhibits her understanding of basic and advanced medical routines, thus, indicating her readiness to work with clients. She has also been recognized with the Dream Keeper’s Award, AAU Outstanding Athlete Award, and 2020 Martial Arts Hall of Fame Award.

Sydney Brady

CTE Student of the Year Finalist

Sydney Brady, a graduate of Walker Valley, has focused on Agriculture.  She has served as FFA President (19-20), FFA VP (18-19), and FFA Historian (17-18).  Throughout her high school career, she has had the opportunity to represent AG & CTE at various events on the local, regional and state levels.  By participating with various other organizations, she has been able to take part in community service projects, livestock projects, judging events and leadership teams.  She has helped to facilitate community partnerships at local events, along with promoting Walker Valley’s program in the county. She has participated in the Athens Area Art Council Summer Camp, CowPea Festival, and has served as her school’s 4-H Livestock Team mentor.

Sydney is a 2019 FFA State Degree Recipient.  In FFA, she participated in the State Dairy Handlers CDE, where she placed 4th in 2017, 3rd in 2018, and 2nd in 2017. In FBLA, she served as Historian, placed 6th in Region 6 Agribusiness test in 2019, and was Voting Delegate at State Leadership conference.  As a four year member of DECA, she served as a voting delegate at state leadership conference as well. She is a four year member of BETA Club and STEM Leadership Team.  As a leader in Bradley County 4-H, she has participated in the Swine, Beef & Dairy projects where she has won various awards at the Local, Regional, State & National levels. Her honors and recognition include 2018 & 2020 Jersey Queen, 2019 Angus Queen, Chapter Greenhand Award, 2019 TJ Caywood Senior Beef Showmanship Award Winner and 2019 Supreme Heifer at the Bradley County Summer Livestock Show.

Having the opportunity to complete hands-on projects throughout her Ag classes, she has learned valuable skills to practice at home on her family’s farm, and moving forward as she studies Animal Science at MTSU.  The computer & business class has allowed her to learn computer skills that are necessary for her career field of study and the ability to run her own operation sometime in the future. 

Sydney Lawson

CTE Student of the Year Finalist

Sydney Lawson has studied in the Therapeutic Services Program at Walker Valley High School where she is graduating with honors and distinction.  From the time she walked into Walker Valley High School as a freshman, she knew she wanted to pursue a healthcare career. Since then, Sydney has been heavily involved in all things CTE. Being a HOSA member all four years, she had the desire to teach, inform, and to be a leader for others. Regardless of the size, importance, or difficulty of a given task, she strives to complete it to the very best of her ability. She has assisted other students in her classes especially during Pharmacology and as a Medical Therapeutics Service Learner. She truly cares about each student in the CTE classes and wants them also to be successful and accomplish their health care dreams. This year she had the opportunity to help HOSA contestants get ready for regional competitions. 

She has assisted and dedicated her time to “Have a Heart, Give a Sole 5K,”  the Samaritan Center, Bradley Healthcare, Salvation Army, “Operation Christmas Child,” school concessions, the NHS Induction Ceremony, the Walker Valley Food Drive, Wesley United Methodists Meal Preparation Program, and the Special Olympics.   Sydney worked and attended most HOSA meetings.  During the Fall of 2019, she attended the Lower East Tennessee Regional HOSA Competition as a Pharmacology Competitor and Conference Seminar Attendee.  She has assisted with sign ups for the annual Blood Assurance Blood Drive and assisted with elementary school biometric screenings.

During the past 4 years of being involved in CTE courses, Sydney has accomplished many things. She is a licensed pharmacy technician at Central Drugstore and a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant. She kept her CPR certification up to date each year. She has completed three dual enrollment courses at Lee University: Comp.1 and 2, and Psychology. She has earned the Pharmacy Technician Certification and CCMA Certification. Her involvement in health science courses have helped her to discover a passion for nursing. She will begin pursuing a career as a Nurse Midwife this fall.

MaKaylah Shoemate

CTE Student of the Year Finalist

MaKaylah Shoemate is a Walker Valley graduate whose CTE Focus is Mechatronics.  While at Walker Valley, she has had the privilege to participate in multiple leadership opportunities, such as serving as club treasurer for Junior Civitan for three years and in Interact as the Appalachian District Governor. She has also had the opportunity to take part in STEM leadership and be an ambassador for YSYF (Your Skills Your Future). 

These leadership positions allowed her to participate in many community projects and share their importance. These activities included “Ronald McDonald House Adopt a Meal,”  “Life Bridges Pancake Breakfast,”  “Cowpea Festival,”  “STEM Day,”  “STEM on the Greenway,”  North Lee and Charleston Elementary Rocket Projects, and “STEAM Night” at Parkview and Waterville Elementary.  She has also participated in Bell Ringing, Empty Stocking Fund Party, 3 Kings Feast, and Angel Tree during Christmas.

Makayla is a member of Skills USA, NTHS, SWE, and STEM Leadership Team.  She has competed in the Engineering Technology and Design contest and placed 1st in State in 2018 and 3rd in State in 2019.  She has had the opportunity to complete an occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA) 10 hour industry certification and dual enrollment mechatronics (Electrical Components, Mech Components/ Electric motor, Electro-Pneu/Hydra Control Cir, Digital Fundamentals and PLCs).  After high school, she plans on attending Cleveland State and participating in the Advanced Technology Institute. CTE dual enrollment gave her the ability to have 12 credited hours already completed.

Maggie Thompson

CTE Student of the Year Finalist

Maggie Thompson has concentrated in the Teaching as a Profession career cluster during her time at Walker Valley High School. Maggie has had many opportunities to contribute leadership to her high school and CTE. The classroom is a main area in which she has been a strong leader. She tries her best to lead others in finding ways to participate in any events that may be related to or to promote Career Technical Education.  Maggie has volunteered and served in the concessions for sports, Halloween bashes/ carnivals, the National Honor Society canned food drive, delivering books to elementary school students, Camp Living Stone, cleaning at Bellefounte Baptist Church, and working in the nursery.

Maggie’s Career Technical Student Organization Participation included “Educators Rising” where she prepared pencils and notes for middle school students doing state testing, wrote notes in books to give to elementary school students, and contributed to a sunshine cart to show appreciation to teachers.  She also participated in Teaching as a Profession III, where she observed an elementary teacher and students daily to see how their typical school day went, led a third grade class in their morning routine and work for several weeks, and worked one on one with students to simply help or catch them up. In TAP III and the other levels of the class, field trips were taken where she was able to work together with and help her classmates out in various areas.  She has also been awarded the Calhoun Alumni Scholarship which will be put towards her schooling at Cleveland State Community College.

          She has acquired various skills while in the Teaching as a Profession CTE classes such as communication, public speaking, leadership, working with peers and coworkers, knowing how to properly be an authoritative figure when that time comes, and knowing how to distribute her knowledge of things among people. She was able to put what she had learned in the classroom to practice when she observed at the elementary school. Through her CTE course work, she has ultimately gained experience, and that is a huge aspect of the teaching profession.