This past Tuesday, the GHS Vocational Department made a big step towards building a greater community for the entire shop, a culmination of months of work, donations, planning and hopes for the program.

The school held an event in the afternoon to celebrate the achievements of the program, with community leaders and proud family members coming together to recognize the achievements and future of the students. It was marked by speeches from teachers, student leaders, and the awarding of T-shirt uniforms to all students in the CTE programs.

“This community wide event in one way is just a bunch of T-shirts. But what these T-shirts symbolize is something really great,” said Gloucester High School principal James Cook. “It symbolizes the ways Gloucester comes together to make something happen for its students. It symbolizes support for the work that students are doing here at GHS to get ready to contribute to our community in just a few years. To have such a great showing here today, physically here to celebrate this moment, as well as from the various donations, it really gives the school and the students the sense that we can go on to do big things, because we have all of you behind us. We have all this support.”

The T-shirts themselves feature designs from vocational students, and were funded by donations and support from companies in the Cape Ann community. Many people from those companies were present at the event, helping to support the next generation of technical workers on the Cape, and creating a networking event for soon-to-graduate students. 

“These shirts might seem like a simple piece of fabric, but their impact is beyond that,” vocational student Victoria Michaels said. “They represent inclusivity and teamwork. We look past our differences and stand as equals, united by a common purpose and identity.”

The school hopes that this event will not only create a sense of community for vocational students, but also show incoming students potentially choosing between GHS and Essex Tech that Gloucester has the resources and drive to support a multitude of interests.