Columbiana County Career and Technical Center students who have chosen an ‘E’ goal of being Employed upon meeting the requirements of graduation and successful completion of a two-year career and technical program place their posters on the Employed wall during the E Decree event as part of the What’s Your E? initiative while CCCTC principal Greg Woolman looks on. (Submitted photo)

Columbiana County Career and Technical Center students who have chosen an ‘E’ goal of being Employed upon meeting the requirements of graduation and successful completion of a two-year career and technical program place their posters on the Employed wall during the E Decree event as part of the What’s Your E? initiative while CCCTC principal Greg Woolman looks on. (Submitted photo)

State Representative for Ohio’s 79th House District, Monica Robb Blasdel, was the featured speaker at the 2025 E Decree at the CCCTC. She delivered a compelling address that emphasized the importance of aligning career choices with both passion and purpose.

Blasdel encouraged the students to pursue their chosen ‘E’s by impressing upon them, “When your career is rooted in purpose and passion, it becomes so much more than a job — it becomes your way of making the world better for others. When you pursue the work that excites you and feels meaningful, you won’t have to question if you’re on the right path. You’ll know it every day.”

Jordan Williams, the CCCTC’s Assistant Superintendent/High School Director explained, “Our goal is to ensure every student understands they have a pathway and a purpose — and that they leave our institution prepared for whichever ‘E’ they choose. The earlier students identify their strengths and interests, the more intentional they become in pursuing opportunities that truly fit them. What’s Your E? gives them the space, the clarity, and the confidence to define what success looks like for their own future.” The event culminates with students planning for their future ‘E’ by setting goals and creating a career pathway plan.

While the E Decree event is a one-day celebration, the What’s Your E? initiative and pursuance of the chosen ‘E’ carries throughout both junior and senior years of attendance at the CCCTC with the continuance into adulthood as the overriding goal. By students placing their created poster on the cafeteria wall during the E Decree, they are providing themselves a daily reminder that everything the CCCTC staff does and that they do for themselves at the CCCTC is helping them achieve that goal.

Since 1977, the Columbiana County Career and Technical Center has provided career-technical training programs for high school students in the surrounding communities. CCCTC offers a focused, career-oriented education for students who wish to achieve success in a chosen career, in college, in the military, or wherever their paths may lead. Students benefit from hands-on training in programs grouped under eight career cluster categories: Agriculture and Environmental Systems, Construction Technologies, Health Science, Hospitality and Tourism, Information Technology, Law and Public Safety, Manufacturing, and Transportation Systems.