Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School senior Kyle Hughes will graduate on a high note as the recipient of the 36th Annual Outstanding Vocational Technical Student Award.
The engineering technology student and North Attleborough resident received the award during a ceremony and dinner on Thursday, April 14, at the Mechanics Hall in Worcester.
The Outstanding Vocational Technical Student Award is presented each year by the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators (MAVA) and the Massachusetts Vocational Association (MVA) to one student from each vocational technical high school in Massachusetts. The award recognizes students who have made significant contributions to their local school district and the statewide vocational technical education system. Recipients must have excellent attendance, a minimum of a 3.5 GPA, and vocational-related work experience. The students must demonstrate leadership qualities, technical competence, involvement in the community, and extracurricular activities.
Hughes has earned multiple certifications and credentials in the engineering field. He is a consistent honor roll student and is ranked number six in his class, he has earned a GPA of 4.40. Hughes is a member of the National Honors Society, a member of the Engineering shop advisory board, and a Student Council member.
Since his freshman year, Hughes has earned numerous accolades in his vocational program, academics, and SkillsUSA. Kyle was a National winner at Reach for the Stars National Rocket Competition. He was also a gold medalist at SkillsUSA in Urban Search and Rescue in 2020 and a bronze medalist in Additive Manufacturing in 2021. In 2020, he was a National Finalist in the High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware (HUNCH) Competition.
Outside of school, Kyle is a dedicated Shodan black belt in Uechi-Ryu Karate student and finds time to volunteer for organizations that are meaningful to him, including Walk for MS, School on Wheels of MA, For Kid’s Sake Foundation, along with various events in his hometown.
“Kyle Hughes is a truly outstanding vocational student who is very deserving of this honor. During grade 9 exploratory, Kyle expressed his clear interest in aerospace engineering. Years later, after excelling in Tri-County’s Engineering Technology program, Kyle is making his dream a reality,” commented Angela Batt, Engineering Technology instructor.
The North Attleborough native plans to continue his education at the University of Alabama- Huntsville, where he will pursue a degree in Aerospace Engineering.
