Monmouth County Vocational School District -

MCVSD Alumni Where Are They Wednesday

Caitlin Venezia, ‘09
From FFA Leader to Turf Educator:
A Career Center Success Story

Caitlin came to the Career Center as a student in the Landscaping program in 2006. Inspired by her teacher, Mr. Martin, she set out to one day be the same kind of mentor for her own students. Through hands-on experience in turf maintenance, nursery landscaping, equipment operation, and plant identification—along with strengthening her public speaking and leadership skills through FFA—Caitlin built the foundation for her career. Today, she has come full circle as the Career Center’s Turf Teacher, guiding students in grass identification, turf pest management, equipment safety, and golf course maintenance. Now standing at the front of the classroom, Caitlin is planting the same seeds of knowledge and inspiration that once helped her grow.

MCVSD Alumni Where Are They Wednesdays
Jake Laird, ‘23
From Applied Mechanical Engineering to NASA Research

Jake Laird, a graduate of the Applied Mechanical Engineering (AME) program, is engineering beyond Earth. As a member of the 12th cohort of the New Jersey Space Grant Consortium, Jake is designing an Autonomous Dust Removal System for solar panels used on future lunar and Martian missions, replacing human-dependent cleaning with an automated, servo-motor–driven system powered by an open-source electronics platform. He will present his prototype to a panel of NASA judges in April 2026.

Since graduating from MCVSD, Jake has also been selected as an NSF S-STEM Scholar, where mentoring supported his growth as President of the Brookdale Engineering Club and led to his participation in the S-STEM Scholars Conference in San Diego. Jake recently returned to MCVSD to speak with current AME students and share his journey.

MCVSD Alumni Where Are They Wednesdays

Tommy Krowicki, ‘25
From Student Chef to Head Line Cook at Palmetto

Tommy Krowicki came to the Career Center with a passion for cooking—and the determination to make it his future. After excelling in Culinary Arts, a visit from Chef Avery helped spark his next step, leading to a job at Palmetto in Asbury. Now promoted to Head Line Cook, Tommy recently returned to the Career Center alongside Chef Avery to inspire the next generation of chefs—proving that when passion meets opportunity, dreams truly come full circle.

High Technology High School student is one of 300 students to be named a 2026 Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar.

https://patch.com/new-jersey/marlboro-coltsneck/morganville-teen-named-finalist-nationwide-science-math-competition

Our MCVSD LPN Nursing Program donated 500+ lbs of food to Fulfill Food Bank! 🙌💙
Future nurses making a real difference!
👉 Want to join this amazing program?
Applications are now open for the September 2026 LPN class!
Learn more: https://www.mcvsd.org/page/licensed-practical-nursing

#MCVSDLPN #FutureNurses #FulfillFoodBank

Over the weekend, MAST students volunteered with Clean Ocean Action as student coordinators and site leads for a massive statewide beach cleanup! 🌊 Their leadership helped protect New Jersey’s coastline and inspired others to take action. ♻️👏 Read the full story here

Interested in applying to one of MCVSD's Career Academies?