This afternoon, HCTC’s Year 2 students all gathered in the cafeteria to celebrate a former teacher and long-time champion of the school and of Career and Technical Education, Brian Langley. Mr. Langley was presented with the SkillsUSA "Pillars of Success" Award—an honor reserved for volunteers whose consistent support of time, talent, and resources allows our students to thrive.
As a former HCTC educator, Mr. Langley’s impact on our students has been profound and far-reaching - even after leaving the Culinary Arts kitchen. During his ten years in the Maine Legislature, he was a tireless advocate for CTE, helping to develop the early college programming that became Bridge Academy Maine. Today, as the Executive Director of Bridge Academy, he continues to coordinate these vital programs for students across the state - and continues to motivate those involved with the program.
“Those students that are here in the Bridge Program – thanks for putting in the extra effort, taking on the little bit extra effort it takes to do those college classes while you're sitting in high school,” Langley says. “A couple years from now, when you look back, all that extra effort, time, and hard work will be worth it, even though it may not feel like it right now.”
Beyond his legislative work, Mr. Langley remains deeply involved in the day-to-day success of our chapter. He serves as the SkillsUSA Maine contest chair for Commercial Baking and, through his restaurant, The Union River Lobster Pot, provides the critical financial assistance necessary for HCTC students to travel to the National SkillsUSA Conference each year.
Believing he was there simply to offer a send-off to this year's competitors, Mr. Langley was caught completely off guard by the award. “I was really tricked coming here today,” he joked. After accepting the honor, he turned the spotlight back to the students with a message of encouragement:
“This may be a very small school compared to a lot of the other schools in the state, but you'll come back every single year with your share of medals. It's not the size of the school, but the fight in the dog, as you know.”
HCTC is incredibly proud to recognize Brian Langley for his unwavering commitment to our students and the future of CTE in Maine, and we are incredibly grateful for all that he has done for our students, staff, and program throughout the years!