Categories
Public Info

Union County Vo-Tech Students Make Ivy League News

The Academy for Information Technology, recognized nationally for academic excellence,
is one of five schools at the Union County Vo-Tech Schools campus in Scotch Plains.
(Photo credit: Union County Vo-Tech Schools).

Union County, NJ – The Union County Vo-Tech Schools are in the news again, with one Vo-Tech senior planning to attend Yale University next year and another recent Vo-Tech graduate honored with an international prize for excellence in academic achievement at Columbia University.

Earlier this year, Vo-Tech was named in academic surveys by Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report, and 26 students were recently recognized by the National Merit Scholars Program.

“These two students, Justin Sears of Plainfield and Richard Sun of Summit, are outstanding representatives for the hundreds of Vo-Tech students who work hard and thrive in a rigorous academic environment,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Deborah P. Scanlon. “We are very proud of Justin, Richard, and the entire student body at Vo-Tech.”

Justin Sears attends the Academy for Information Technology, one of five schools on the Vo-Tech campus in Scotch Plains. In addition to his academic achievements he is a talented basketball player and was offered athletic scholarships at top universities around the country.

Sears committed to Yale, even though the school does not offer athletic scholarships, in order to focus on academics and a career after basketball according to a recent profile in the Star-Ledger.

Richard Sun graduated from Magnet High School two years ago and is attending Columbia University. He was recently awarded the Oscar Wilde Gold Medal for Academic Excellence, an honor that until now was only conferred on students from Ireland.

Richard’s essay on urban sustainability was one of only 23 Gold Medal winners selected from almost 2,400 submissions, and he was one of only two students from America to achieve the honor.

“Along with preparing our students academically, we also strive to help them develop the sensibilities to envision a future for themselves and their communities, said Vo-Tech Superintendent of Schools Thomas J. Bistocchi. “Each in their own way, Justin and Richard have demonstrated the full range of the Vo-Tech experience.”

The Union County Vo-Tech Schools are dedicated to providing Union County youth with career development in high-demand, emerging and traditional fields. The Vo-Tech campus on Raritan Road in Scotch Plains houses five distinct schools: Magnet High School, Academy for Information Technology, Academy for Allied Health Sciences, Academy for Performing Arts, and Vocational-Technical High School.

For more information about the Union County Vo-Tech schools visit ucvts.tec.nj.us/ucvts. Information on all Union County programs and services is available at ucnj.org.

 

#  #

For more information on any Union County press release, please contact Sebastian D’Elia, Communications Director for the County of Union, or a designee listed at the top of this press release.   Please join the County of Union online at www.ucnj.org, on Facebook at www.ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/countyofunionnj.