SMCC will be celebrating the first cohort of ACE students from the Construction Trades Institute (CTI) to complete and receive their certifications in Construction: Carpentry/Framing and Electrical Systems and to become an OSHA 30 card holder. These students will not only be graduating from their high school this May but will also be attending the SMCC graduation ceremony to receive their certificates in what will be a milestone celebration. 
The ACE/CTI students started in the program two years ago in the summer of 2023 as 10th graders and have been attending classes at SMCC during the summer semester as well as every Saturday during the fall and spring semesters.
Two of the students in the program have gone on to compete in the SkillsUSA Arizona regional construction competition, which was held on April 22-23 at the Phoenix Convention Center.
Patricia Roth, a senior at Betty H. Fairfax High School and a member of the first ACE/CTI cohort, placed third in the electrical section and was the only woman out of 20 men who completed. Hector Garcia Martinez, a junior at Betty H. Fairfax High School and a member of the second ACE/CTI cohort, also competed and will furthermore participate in the upcoming SkillsUSA construction competition in the plumbing section. Both students are a part of their high school’s Construction CTSO club, where they have been working hard all year to develop their skills in the trades. They have continued to represent the SMCC CTI program by showcasing their talents and expertise at these competitions.