Passaic County Technical Institute (PCTI) has announced their Educators of the Year for 2018. The honor goes to Joe Gravino, Educator of the Year, and Mark Cacace, Educational Specialist of the Year!
Joe Gravino is a Lead Automotive Instructor, licensed DMV Inspector, and ASE Certified Technician who has been working with PCTI since 1992. For the past twenty-five years, he has actively embraced his passions by teaching the youths of tomorrow. “I thought I would miss working on cars all day, but I truly feel blessed to have the best of both worlds – teaching and running an automotive repair program with my students.” Joe received his Bachelors of Science in Industrial Technology/Education from Montclair State University.
Joe Gravino has much to be proud of – he runs a homeless program that feeds two-hundred people several times a year, and he is actively involved in PCTI functions which include the Car Show, Saturday Academy Adult & Continuing Education courses. He’s even coached students to achieve gold medal status in the SkillsUSA automotive competition. Most notably, Joe takes great pride in the fact that his Automotive Technology students graduate from the Automotive Exit exam with a 100% passing rate.
Mark Cacace is the Lead School-to- Careers Coordinator and has been working at PCTI since 2000. He began his career in the school’s automotive program and is a notable Bulldog alumnus. Mark has made consistent strides to improve his education with the following certifications: the NJ Supervisory certification, NJ Cooperative Education certification, New Jersey’s Teacher’s certification, and many more. He was recently selected as the Junior Achievement Educator of the Year. Mark received a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Marygrove College and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology from Montclair State University.
His ambition to pursue a career at PCTI is largely due to his experience on the vocational track as a high school student. He progressed from working at an automotive dealership to eventually becoming a Parts and Service Manager. “I wanted to work with students and do more for them, so I continued my education and moved to the School-to-Careers department.” Mark explains that maintaining contacts in the industries, which leads to job shadowing opportunities and interviews, field trips, guest speakers, and potential job placements, provides students with highly coveted real-world experiences. “I think we should provide students with the tools they need after graduation – industry and interpersonal skills, as well as a strong work ethic.”
Congratulations to two highly dedicated professionals for being recognized as PCTI’s 2018 Educators of the Year!
