Capital Area Technical Center’s professionals of the month for January are, from left, Joseph Barnard, Brianna Gardner and Nicholas Roberge.

Capital Area Technical Center has named its January professionals of the month.

Joseph Barnard of Augusta is a senior at Cony High School enrolled in the Plumbing and Heating program. He said he was nervous when he first started the program, but is so glad he stuck with it. He finds the work-like environment in the program a great fit for him and can’t believe how the two hours a day class time flies, according to a news release from Stephanie Turgeon, Student Services coordinator.

Joseph Barnard Submitted photo

Barnard says that doing plumbing and heating work makes him happy and he sees himself working in the field for a very long time. After graduation, he plans to attend a Maine community college to continue his study in plumbing and heating.

Brianna Gardner of Somerville is a senior at Erskine Academy enrolled for the second year in the Early Childhood Education program. She has enjoyed being a teacher in the on-site pre-school program, My First School. She has loved how well the information she has learned in the classroom has transferred into the pre-school program, especially in using language that really helps refocus challenging behaviors into prosocial behaviors.

Brianna Gardner Submitted photo

Gardner is undecided right now about her plans after graduation. She has been accepted into a few colleges and also is considering going straight into the workforce.

The center’s Alumni Spotlight shines on Nicholas Roberge of Windsor. He attended the Computer Tech program for two years and graduated from Erskine Academy in 2013. While at CATC, Roberge earned the silver medal at the State SkillsUSA Computer Maintenance competition.

He was hired out of high school by the University of Maine at Augusta to work the student helpdesk. He was then hired by AOS 92, where he grew from computer technician to client deployment administrator. While at AOS 92, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Cyber Security from University of Maine at Augusta.

Nicholas Roberge Submitted photo

He also has run his own business since 2010, Central Maine Tech Services, which specializes in local business IT solutions. He credits the Computer Tech program at CATC as what finalized his decision in wanting to work in the IT field as a career.

“It gave me all the tools I needed to be ready to work in computers and work my way up from being a student helpdesk tech, to now client deployment administrator,” he said. “The Computer Technology Program helped me see what a need there is for IT support in this career path and gave me the drive to also start my own business on the side.”

To find more information about his business, find it on Facebook  or centralmetech.com.

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