GI TEC STUDENT OF THE YEAR! (Class of 20-22)!

Isabella Community Credit Union

My1043 & Buck92.3 are honored to be partnered again with the Gratiot Isabella Technical Education Center!!  We love to honor those kids who go above and beyond in the classroom with our student of the month!!

CONGRATULATIONS to all of our winners this past school year.  For the past month, we’ve taken all the winners to see who would come out as the STUDENT OF THE YEAR…and for the Class of 2022 it’s RILEE BURGAN!

Another special shout out to all the faculty and staff at GITEC for teaching youngsters skills and trades they can take with them for the rest of their lives!!  We’ll see you again this fall as we pick up on our STUDENT OF THE MONTH contest!

In the meantime, enjoy your Summer with BUCK 92!

Another special shout out to all the faculty and staff at GITEC for teaching youngsters skills and trades they can take with them for the rest of their lives!!

APRIL 20-22 STUDENT OF THE MONTH:

Laura Brown- Mt. Pleasant High School Nominating Teacher: Len Klakulak- Culinary Arts

Laura is an exceptional student who is striving to work her way through the ranks in the Culinary Arts field. As a sophomore this year, she is in her third trimester of Culinary and already has proven to be a great addition to our team. She has been accepted to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Napa, California for a hands-on workshop this summer. Laura has also taken it upon herself to broaden GI-TEC’s student run restaurant, Herbs & Spices, menu to include a variety of gluten, lactose, and soy free items for our staff members. Aside from being an exceptional academic student, she plays soccer, is a member of the MPHS Band, and is on the MPHS Swim Team. She also spends some of her free time assisting a local elderly woman by walking her dog. Overall, Laura is a great student and individual who is more than deserving of this nomination.


March 20-22 Student of the Month

Rilee Burgan- Mt. Pleasant High School Nominating Teacher: Debb Leasher- Marketing

Self-directed, respectful, responsible, outstanding in character, mature beyond her years and a respected leader, these are the qualities that Rilee Burgan possesses. Rilee is the kind of individual that goes above and beyond in her contribution to our program without looking for recognition. Her selfless efforts are all in support of her peers and the advancement of our program. Rilee is a four-year member of GI TEC-Mt. Pleasant Chapter of Business Professionals of America (BPA) which is the premier intra-curricular, Career and Technical Student Organization for students pursuing careers in marketing, accounting, business management, office administration, information technology, and other related career fields.  She currently holds the position of GI-TEC BPA Chapter President, coordinating countless fundraising activities, chapter meetings, community service and event preparation activities for chapter members. She has successfully competed and placed in individual and team events at the regional, state and national levels, investing hundreds of hours in preparation for not only her own events but for fellow members, as well.  She is a member of the GI-TEC Marketing Advisory Committee as well as plays a leadership role (Captain) for the MPHS varsity golf team. In addition to all the above-mentioned activities she maintains a GPA of 4.24 (4.0 scale weighted) and holds a part-time position as an Activities Aide at The Laurels. In my 35+ years in education, I would rank Rilee in the top ten percent of the students I have had the opportunity to work with. Rilee Burgan will be an asset to any organization she chooses to commit her time and talents to.

February 20-22 Student of the Month: 

Jennifer O’Boyle- Ithaca High School

Jennifer’s willingness to learn and her dedication to excellence in design has stood out amongst her peers. It has been my pleasure to have taught her in my class for two years now. In her senior year, Jen has taken on many client jobs on top of her regular course load. Her tireless work ethic was showcased through her knowledge of both design and machine operation by the end of this past school year. She has been on the honor roll at her home school and is a member of the Varsity Soccer team. I believe that Jen already demonstrates leadership skills and this will enable her to be successful in her professional Graphic Design career. She plans on attending Mid-Michigan College and will pursue a degree in Graphic Design this fall.

Alexia Widrig- Mt. Pleasant High School Nominated by Mindy Wischmeyer- Business Management

I am pleased to nominate Alexia for the My104.3 Student of the Month.  Alexia has been a student in Business Management at the Gratiot-Isabella Technical Education Center for two years. She is also a co-op in the MPHS Counseling Office.  Her dedication and determination are two of her greatest assets.

Alexia is organized, driven, committed, shows great initiative, and leads by example. She is the first one to jump to a project and will give her all—and then some—and be the last person standing when the project is finished. She is well respected by her peers and the adults who are lucky enough to come in contact with her. Alexia has a smile that will light up a room. She was recently accepted into the National Technical Honor Society for her exceptional CTE performance.

Alexia’s enthusiasm and passion for helping others is admirable. She is very detail oriented and has been able to successfully balance a rigorous academic career while participating in a variety of extracurricular activities. Alexia is the ultimate role model and gives of herself 110% unconditionally. To say she is a team player is a gross understatement.

Alexia is an amazing young lady—one in a million–and very deserving of being named My 104.3 Student of the Month.

Brady Gruss- Sacred Heart Academy Nominated by Kyle Campbell Small Engines

Brady is a senior from SHA, an exceptional small engines student, and a joy to have in class. He is always willing to lend a hand where needed and works well with his peers. Brady has shown improvement in his skills so far this school year and continues to put forth his best efforts both in the classroom and in the repair shop. Aside from school, Brady plays both football and baseball for his home school of SHA. He enjoys watching a good game of either sport when he has some down time. I look forward to seeing what Brady can accomplish this year. Thanks for all your hard work!

Kaylee Bushong- Beal City High School nominated by Kerry Lockwood Accounting:

Kaylee is a student that has been working hard to follow her career pathway in accounting. She has taken accounting at GI-TEC during her Junior and Senior year.  Kaylee has a natural ability in the accounting area. In the classroom, she works hard to understand the concepts at a deeper level.  Kaylee is currently working independently on the Advanced Accounting curriculum.  This curriculum is not easy and often can be frustrating.  She takes in on with pure positivity.  Kaylee always tries to solve each problem on her own before seeking help.  To prove her abilities Kaylee was hired at Blystone & Bailey Accounting firm as a Co-Op.   Kaylee has taken all these responsibilities with school and work on with great professionalism and eagerness.  Outside of the classroom and her Co-Op job, Kaylee stays very busy with softball, volleyball, and Business Professionals of America.  One of Kaylee’s best qualities is her personality.  She is a friendly and caring individual.  Her peers think highly of her and look to her for direction.  She brightens up any room she walks into because she is always smiling and kind to everyone around her. Kaylee would be a great pick for Student of the Month.

Marlee Masterson- Mt. Pleasant High School nominated by: Debb Leasher- Marketing

Marlee is a senior at MPHS and a highly successful third year Marketing student. She has developed into a true leader and role model for other students. She is a member of Business Professionals of America, the premier Career and Technical Student Organization for students pursuing careers in business management, office administration, information technology and other related career fields. As a strong leader, she was selected for The School Store Management Team for a second year. Marlee worked directly with school administration as they developed a reopening plan for The School Store that complies with the new health and safety requirements. Marlee has also shown her strong work ethic as she is a returning office assistant co-op at Mt. Pleasant Middle School. She has the ability to commit to all her responsibilities to the fullest extent and completes them at above average expectations. Marlee was vital to the ordering and distribution of our annual football apparel orders this fall, committing extra time to the program to ensure that the project was a huge success. Marlee’s hard work and dedication to the Marketing program and BPA provides a great leadership example for other students. Lastly, Marlee’s positive attitude, strong work ethic, and initiative allow her to see what needs to be done and accomplish the tasks all while never looking for recognition. We are very fortunate to have Marlee as part of our Marketing program and BPA Chapter!