PORTSMOUTH—Portsmouth High School Career and Technical Education hosted its annual Certificate Recognition Ceremony – Signing Day -- honoring students who have chosen to pursue a career in the industry in collaboration with educational institutions, local businesses, and military partners. Celebrated as they take their next steps, the event was held in the Nichinan Theater at Portsmouth High School on May 20 with support from Portsmouth Rotary Club, Sheehan Phinney, PA, and Newburyport Bank. 

Office representatives from Sen. Maggie Hassan and U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander were in attendance at the ceremony. 

The celebration recognized seniors who have pursued hands-on learning through programs such as Welding, Automotive Technology, Culinary Arts, and Careers in Education. Each student received a certificate acknowledging their chosen pathway, along with gifts that reflected their area of study. 

Courtney Ritchings, director of Career and Technical Education (CTE) at Portsmouth High School’s Career Technical Center, praised the students' work ethic and initiative: 

“These students have put in the time and effort to explore their passions, build real-world skills, and take meaningful steps toward their futures. This recognition ceremony is a celebration of their accomplishments and the strong partnerships that made their experiences possible.” 

Ben VanCamp, president and chief collaborator of the Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth, emphasized the importance of community collaboration in preparing a skilled future workforce: 

“The business community is proud to support these students as they step into the next phase of their careers and education. These partnerships between schools and industry are a vital part of our region’s economic development and talent pipeline.” 

Nicole Bellabona, College & Career Readiness/ELO Coordinator/Clipper Careers, said: 

“Our graduating students were inspired to pursue future pathways in the military, trades, industry specific training programs or join the workforce as a result of the applied learning opportunities that our career and technical education programs provide. They should all be proud of the hands-on skills they have built and the community support of their efforts is wonderful.” 

Below are the honorees and their respective pathways: 

Welding Program 

• Aayan Bliss – Partner: Great Bay Community College | Pathway: Welding  
• Lucas Bromfield – Portsmouth Naval Shipyard applicant | Pathway: Trades 
• Michael Duquette – Partner: Great Bay CC | Pathway: Welding  
• Alex Sykora – Partner: U.S. Marines | Pathway: Trades, Military Service 

 
Culinary Program 

• Kaden Cheney – Portsmouth Naval Shipyard applicant | Pathway: Trades  
• Bryson McKnight – Partners: Great Bay CC, IKKO, Star Island | Pathway: Business 

Automotive Program 

• Max Bonita – Partner: U.S. Marine Corps | Pathway: Trades, Military Service 
• Nic Caruso – Partner: Portsmouth Toyota | Pathway: Trades, Military Service  
• Nico Cunha – Partner: NH Air National Guard | Pathway: Military Service 
• Ben Dunagan – Partner: Portsmouth Toyota | Pathway: Automotive 
• Lucy Foulkes – Partner: Compass Real Estate | Pathway: Business  
• Eric Gerry – Partner: NH School of the Trades | Pathway: Trades 
• Garrett Santos – Partner: Jitto’s Restaurant | Pathway: Trades  

Careers in Education Program 

• Tenley Bowser 
• Orla Burke 
• Frances Hackett 
• Maya Harley 
• Gabby Hebert 
• Maggie Pataki 

 All pursuing college programs related to education. 

The event celebrates a vital partnership between Portsmouth High School and its post-secondary and industry collaborators, showcasing the school's commitment to preparing students for a wide range of professional futures. 

This event was made possible by sponsorship from Sheehan Phinney and Newburyport Bank and gifts certificates for students going into industry/industry training were supported by Portsmouth Rotary Club.