Jesse Robbins Recognized by the Center for Technology, Essex

Architect Jesse Robbins gives CTE students a personal tour of CityPlace Burlington in 2024.  Phase 1 of the project is set to open this summer.

The annual induction ceremony for the National Technical Honor Society at the Center for Technology, Essex, is usually reserved for exceptional high school students in technical fields.  But on Thursday, April 3 they added our own Jesse Robbins as an honorary member to the list of recipients for his years of service in support of technical education at CTE.

Jesse is no stranger to CTE, having attended its Engineering and Architectural Design Program as a high school student before earning a degree from the Syracuse University School of Architecture in 1999.

When Jesse joined FFF in 2000, it wasn’t long before he joined CTE’s Advisory Board, advising faculty on curriculum, mentoring students, and leading tours of construction sites for student groups.

“I was pretty sure I wanted to be an architect before I started the architectural design program at CTE,” says Jesse, “but the opportunity to design a house in high school and then see it built by the Building Trades programs really confirmed my career path. It gave me a head start on my college degree.  I return to the classroom year after year to help other Vermont high schoolers get that same chance.”

Jesse isn’t the only CTE alum in our office—VP Shawn Brennan and Architectural Designers Ryan Catozzi and Bodwe Kashindi also attended CTE during their high school years.

Our employees’ formative experiences at CTE only reaffirm the importance of Vermont’s technical education centers, which are experiencing a boom in enrollments statewide. And with chronic labor shortages in design and construction related fields in Vermont, we are so grateful for the many educators and schools that provide quality tech ed to our youth.

Congratulations, Jesse, and congratulations to the rest of this year’s National Technical Honors Society inductees!