BRIGHTON — The new year brought good news for Brighton High School teacher and alum Brielle Haupt. The health occupations and pre-med science teacher was recognized this month as the 2024 MI ACTE New Career Tech Ed Teacher of the Year.
The award acknowledges exceptional teachers in CTE (Career and Technical Education). Haupt, specifically, was recognized for her role in the medical department at both Brighton High School and in Livingston County.
“The majority of (CTE teachers) have been in the industry, so we focus less on the core curriculum — we design classes that are career-focused,” Haupt said. “It encourages students to go into engineering, or the auto industry … and for me, specifically, medical fields.”
The award selection process began when Haupt’s career director decided to submit an application on her behalf to the Association for Career and Technology Education.
“I just talked about my program,” Haupt said. “I talked about the different leadership opportunities I give. We talked about the clinical aspect, when my kids go out and participate in job shadowing, and the advancement over the past couple of years.”