Cullman Area Technology Academy Celebrated by National Educators

The Cullman Area Technology Academy (CATA) has garnered significant recognition from national and state career technical education advocates. On September 22, 2025, a group of representatives from the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) and the Alabama Association for Career and Technical Education (ALACTE) visited CATA as part of a tour of Alabama’s educational facilities. This acknowledgment comes after Alabama became a member of ACTE, the country’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to promoting career technical education.

During the visit, CATA Director Susan Patrick shared that she was informed over the summer about the selection for this tour. Guests were introduced to five of the academy’s fifteen programs, which include Health Sciences, Cybersecurity, Precision Machining, Utility Line Worker, and Cosmetology. This hands-on approach allows students to showcase the practical skills they have developed, demonstrating their readiness for future careers.

Students actively participated in the tour, providing demonstrations of their skills. For instance, future utility linemen conducted a pole-climbing demonstration, while students from the machining program highlighted their collaboration with NASA. The tour also featured CATA’s largest program, Health Sciences, which currently enrolls approximately 130 students. Senior Amber McCloud expressed her enthusiasm for the program, stating, “Healthcare has always interested me, but I just really love the environment here. I know this class will prepare me for what I will actually be doing in the future.”

The visit also showcased CATA’s rapidly growing cybersecurity program, which has nearly doubled its enrollment this year. Chase Nelson, the program instructor, emphasized the academy’s commitment to catering to students’ needs, saying, “One of the things I love about CATA is that we find what works for our students. Every student has a place here.”

The tour’s significance was underscored by Jimmy Koch, ACTE’s manager of government relations. He highlighted the importance of instructor retention and noted that CATA serves as a model for effective employee selection. “The teachers are just so inspiring,” Koch remarked. “They are really just so passionate about what they are doing.”

The Cullman County Board of Education has been actively investing in career education, recently announcing plans for a new, expanded state-of-the-art STEM Academy. Patrick indicated that the visit from ACTE and ALACTE validated the district’s ongoing efforts to enhance career and technical education. “CATA has always had a great reputation in the state for the programs we offer and the instructors we have, and we have great students,” she noted. “With ACTE acknowledging that, it just validates the work we are doing and that we are continuing that path of excellence in preparing our kids for the future.”