Mercer Co. Student Among State's CTE Scholar Award Winners

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — A student from the Mercer County Vocational School District is 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 Mercer County Vocational School District recipient, a high school senior, is:

• Ryleigh Johnson — 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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