The graduation rate for students involved in Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) has risen to 98.45%.

This rate – which applies to students who complete a Career Pathway – exceeds the overall state graduation rate by 11.25 percentage points, underscoring the relevance and impact of CTAE opportunities. The 2024 CTAE graduation rate was 98.24%.

“CTAE opportunities are at the core of our efforts to ensure Georgia is the Top State for Talent,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “These programs allow students to discover their interests and strengths, develop real-world skills, and connect learning in the classroom to high-demand careers across Georgia. This year’s CTAE graduation rate shows the continued influence of CTAE on students’ successful futures. From aviation and advanced manufacturing to healthcare, agriculture, information technology, and skilled trades, CTAE opens doors for students in every region of our state.”

CTAE in Georgia delivers a high-school experience that prepares students for their lives after high school. Students can learn skills for real-world careers through Career Pathways, while earning recognized industry credentials and participating in work-based learning and apprenticeship opportunities. Career Pathways can prepare all students for their next steps after high school, whether they plan to pursue higher education, enter the military, accept an apprenticeship opportunity, or immediately begin their career.

“Georgia’s progress toward becoming the Top State for Talent is reflected in outcomes like this year’s CTAE graduation rate,” said Dr. Barbara Wall, Deputy Superintendent for Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education. “Our students’ achievements show that strong, well-aligned Career Pathways keep students engaged in their education. CTAE delivers by connecting learning to real workforce needs, meaning students leave high school prepared to move confidently into college, careers, apprenticeships, or military service.”

Meet Angelique, Carter, Emily, and Mantavius – 2025 CTAE Graduates

Angelique Aponte, Lithia Springs High School – JROTC (Marines) Pathway

When she entered high school, Angelique Aponte didn’t initially want to join JROTC – it was actually her mom’s idea that she sign up.

That simple decision, though, ended up connecting Angelique with a family, a purpose, and a plan for the future.

A December 2025 graduate of Lithia Springs High School, Angelique spent the summer before her senior year completing Army Basic Combat Training at Fort Leonard Woods through the Split Training Option for high-school juniors. She’s now working full-time and attending monthly Army Reserve drills until her formal graduation ceremony in May 2026.

After graduation, Angelique plans to enlist in the Army full-time to pursue a career in engineering.

“JROTC helped me because I had some experience with the military – learning how to drill, or learning about weapon safety, or learning some of the commands,” Angelique said. “So getting to basic training, I was already a step ahead.”

Completing Army Basic Training, Angelique said, “was one of the best experiences I’ve ever done in my life” – and she pushed through thinking of her parents, including her mom who’d initially encouraged her to pursue JROTC.

“I met amazing people who I still have contact with – people with the same goals,” she said. “Most importantly, for me, it was something that I saw as, ‘There’s the finish line – do it for your parents.’”

Carter Gainous, Metter High School – Sheet Metal Welding Pathway

Starting in sixth grade, Carter Gainous knew what he wanted to do after high school – he wanted to play college baseball. But freshman year of high school, something new crossed his path – several of his friends were taking welding courses through the Architecture and Construction Career Cluster at Metter High School.

“I like to stay busy and work with my hands, and the class sounded very hands-on,” Carter said. “So, I decided to try it out, and fell in love with it.”

When Carter graduated from Metter High in 2025, he’d completed the Sheet Metal Welding Pathway and earned technical certificates in Blueprint Reading, Gas Metal Arc, Flux-Cored Arc, Sheet Metal, and Oxyfuel – many of the basics of welding.

He also learned important professional skills – like how to study, how to write a resume, how to manage conflict, and how to manage his time. Those skills prepared him for his career and for life as a college student, Carter said.

Carter now works full-time as a welder while completing his diploma at Southeastern Technical College. He says CTAE gave him technical skills and real-world experience that directly led to his current success.

“Those classes gave me real-world experience and showed me what it would actually be like to work as a welder,” Carter said. “By the spring of my senior year, I knew this was the path I wanted to take.”

Emily Kubat – Dawson County High School, Audio/Video Technology and Film Pathway

Emily Kubat has been interested in film since she was young – she’d always wanted to be part of the filmmaking process.

When she enrolled in Dawson County High School, the Audio/Video Technology and Film Pathway was a natural fit. CTAE coursework allowed Emily to develop her screenwriting skills, familiarize herself with A/V equipment, and try her hand at directing.

“CTAE allowed me to not only strengthen my already existing skills, it allowed me to learn new ones,” Emily said. “I learned how to manipulate lights and camera angles to make a shot look as if it was filmed at a completely different time of day.”

Emily graduated in 2025 equipped with an Adobe Industry Credential and is now majoring in Media Studies with an emphasis in Film Production at the University of North Georgia.

Most importantly, Emily said the A/V Technology and Film Pathway prepared her to pursue her goals.

“CTAE gave me the skills I needed to pursue my dream of becoming a director,” Emily said.

Mantavius Presley, Douglas County High School – Healthcare/Allied Health Pathway

2025 Douglas County High School graduate Mantavius Presley wanted a career that utilized his deep interest in science while allowing him to serve others. That led him to the Healthcare/Allied Health Career Pathway, and ultimately to Morehouse College where he’s majoring in biology on the pre-med track.

“[My Career Pathway] transformed abstract classroom learning into purposeful, real-world application,” Mantavius said. “I knew it was the right fit when I realized I was not only learning content, but also developing a deeper understanding of how knowledge, compassion, and professionalism intersect in healthcare careers.”

Mantavius said CTAE equipped him with discipline, scientific reasoning, and effective study habits. His teachers set high expectations, pushed him to think critically, and helped him hone his clinical skills – ensuring he practiced every technique until he’d mastered them.

The Morehouse freshman – who was accepted to more than 60 colleges and earned more than $1.1 million in scholarships – made the Dean’s List his first semester, and says his Career Pathway contributed to that achievement.

“It helped me develop consistency, resilience, and strong time-management skills early on in my higher education journey,” Mantavius said. “Perhaps most importantly, it instilled confidence; confidence that I belong in academically demanding spaces and that success is attainable through preparation, persistence, and discipline.”

Mantavius plans to attend medical school and become an anesthesiologist and educator – “mentoring future healthcare professionals, promoting health literacy, and giving back to the classroom environments that helped shape my academic and professional path.”