IHS Career Specialist Claudia Coté is Tech Prep winner

The entire state now knows that Issaquah High School’s Career Center is a great place for students to research career and education possibilities make decisions about jobs that make the best use of their skills and interests, and explore the possibilities in their futures.

On March 2 at the Washington State Tech Prep Conference, Claudia Coté, IHS Career Specialist, received the state’s Tech Prep Excellence award. According to Paula Phelps, principal at Issaquah High School, seldom does a week go by that she doesn’t hear a compliment about the IHS Career Center.  This is a result of the combined efforts of the career specialists, Claudia Coté and Cathy Blankenstein. Claudia Coté has been a force for good in the Career Center since 2003 and the lead Career Specialist since 2004.

Education is a family affair for Coté; her husband is a middle school math teacher. Mark and Claudia Coté’s daughter is a junior at Western Washington University; their son is a senior at Skyline High School where he is earning Tech Prep credits in preparation for his future engineering degree. When asked what she likes most about her position, she says that she loves being able to help every student regardless of his or her aspirations.  She likes to puzzle out what really excites each student and then to help each student use his or her passions as a springboard for a plan for the future.  Claudia can proudly state that 100% of Issaquah High School students in Tech Prep classes are registered for Tech Prep credit.

  Tech Prep is an important school-to-work transition strategy, helping all students make the connection between high school, college, and employment. Tech Prep’s sequence of study can begin as early as a student’s freshman year.