TEMPLE, Texas — Two Temple High School seniors have been recognized with 2026 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Awards presented by Congressman John Carter’s office. Those awards were recently presented during a ceremony at Temple College.
Temple High School’s Nevaeh Tobe and Paul Olivos Gutierrez were two of seven local students recognized with Texas-31 Congressional Career and Technical Education Awards. The CTE Award recognizes students who demonstrate excellence in career preparation, skill mastery, and community involvement. Recognized students have completed CTE coursework, developed industry-aligned skills, and prepared for high-skill, high-wage careers through real-world learning experiences and career pathways. District 31 includes school districts in Bosque, Burnet, Coryell, Hamilton, and parts of Bell and Williamson counties. More than 500 students applied for the awards, and the seven recipients were selected from a group of 33 finalists. Temple ISD was the only local district to have two students recognized.
Tobe is active in the business pathway, but also takes classes in the law pathway at Temple High School. She also works with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to prepare tax returns for qualifying community members. Tobe intends to study accounting and economics in college after she graduates and understands how her involvement with CTE is preparing her for the next steps.
“I didn’t really realize how big of a deal this award was until we got to the ceremony,” Tobe said. “It felt really cool. My essay for this competition was about my involvement with the VITA program, and learning about all of the financial reports and statements has helped me understand what is involved with that field. I am also proud to have another Temple High School student win this award.”
Olivos Gutierrez takes classes in the entrepreneurship, food science, and animal science pathways at Temple High School. He is interested in a career in real estate after graduation.
“I have learned so much through my CTE courses and I know this is going to help me in the future,” Olivos Gutierrez said. “I didn’t realize how big of a deal this award was ahead of time. I am very thankful to my teacher who encouraged me to apply for this, and it feels good to have a classmate also win this award.”
“CTE bridges the gap between education and industry by providing students with hands-on training, internships, and professional certifications,” said Sara Bartlett, director of CTE for Temple ISD. “This is an area of education Congressman Carter is passionate about. These two impressive students won this award because they understand the link between CTE education and the real world. Their passion to use the skills they have been taught post-graduation is inspiring.”
Temple High School offers 17 programs of study across 13 career clusters in CTE and Temple High School CTE students earned nearly 450 industry-based certifications last year. The program offers a variety of services to students, staff, and the community through service-based learning opportunities and collaborates with local business and the City of Temple for internships and work-experience partnerships.