Sussex Tech School holds 'WOW Factor'

Prospective students see what the school has to offer SPARTA — Prospective students were welcomed at the Sussex County Technical School WOW Factor last week. The aim of the two-day open house was to "wow" the crowd with their curriculum, which prepares high school students for success in the workplace. Instructors teach the fundamentals of various trades and disciplines to students. Cosmetology, commercial art and information technology (IT) are among the trades offered along with general high school programs of study. Students can earn college credits as they learn and can participate in internships with Sussex area businesses. Sussex County Technical School is open to all qualified Sussex County high school students and time shares are allowed so students can attend the high school in their town at the same time as they attend Sussex Tech. Sussex County Technical School also offers a full range of athletic programs. The school is a member in the New Jersey Vocational Technical Athletic Conference and abides by the rules of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. During the open house events prospective students and their parents got the chance to tour Sussex Tech and meet the staff. Students already attending the school helped with the tours and spoke to the guests. The school also has state of the art media courses and a fully equipped salon staffed by student hair stylists and makeup artists. The salon is open to the public by appointment only. One graduate of Sussex County Technical School is Chef Chad Gasiorek, now an instructor at the school. Gasiorek attended a well-known culinary institute and worked in the field before returning to Sussex Tech to teach. "The students in the culinary course have to maintain a certain grade point average to complete the course. This is not an easy course to get into or finish. We have high standards here and we not only cook for the school but culinary students also compete in food contests like the ones on television. We also provide gourmet goods for local Sussex area eateries," he said. Sussex Tech boasts its own bakery, which Gasiorek claims can stand alongside any other bakery in Sussex County. During the open house, culinary students decked out in full chef uniforms were putting together wedding cakes to be entered in an upcoming state food competition. Like the culinary program, other courses have partnerships with local businesses to give students real world work experience before they become adults. For more information about the Sussex County Technical School see www.sussex.tec.nj.us/