18 Middlesex Co. Vocational Students Earn State CTE Scholar Award

MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ — Eighteen students from the Middlesex County Vocational School District are among 83 high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) students statewide who received the CTE Scholar Award for the 2025-2026 school year, the New Jersey Department of Education announced.

The award program was established through a 2023 state statute that calls for recognizing outstanding CTE students who meet specific criteria, according to the department.

"New Jersey's high schools and county vocational schools continue to offer innovative Career and Technical Education programs that help students gain the knowledge, skills, and experiences they need to thrive in today's most in-demand, high-skill, and high-wage careers," said Dr. Lily Laux, commissioner of education. "We are proud to recognize this exceptional group of CTE Scholar Award recipients and commend them for their hard work, achievement, and commitment to excellence."

The Middlesex County Vocational School District recipients, all high school seniors, are:

• Davin DeLuca — Architectural Drafting and Architectural CAD/CADD
• Jonathan Lee — Engineering, General

• Harinarayan AsooriSriram — Engineering, General
• Dhikshith Gajulapalli — Engineering, General
• Sophiel Brzoksko — Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications
• Jordanny Valdez Veloz — Electrician
• Ethan Chendorain — Culinary Arts/Chef Training
• Gabriella Domingues — Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications
• Hannah Chahine — Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences
• Heather Sanchez — Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences
• Jonathan Franco — Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences
• Renee Aponesto — Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences
• Brendalee Fontanez — Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences
• Bryant Quinones — Culinary Arts/Chef Training
• Prisha Shah — Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences
• Ishaan Anand — Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences
• Navya Venkat — Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences
• Diva Sudhini — Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences

Students were nominated by their districts and had to meet several criteria, including demonstrating high achievement in a CTE program and in at least three academic classes, completing a college-level course or work-based learning experience, and participating in a career and technical student organization or community service project, according to the department.

CTE programs in New Jersey serve more than 72,000 students in grades 9-12 across 16 career clusters, including computer science, engineering, health science, culinary arts and electrical engineering, the department said.

A full list of statewide award recipients and additional program information is available on the NJDOE's CTE Scholar Award Program website.

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