We're shining the spotlight on CB West's Lorelai Smiley, who was recently named as the recipient of the 2023 Pennsylvania Cooperative Education Association (PCEA) Outstanding Student Award for the Eastern Career and Technical Education (CTE) Region.

Lorelai is a dental occupations student at MBIT - and one of only three recipients of this award in the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

“Lorelai is an outstanding senior in her career and technical education classroom. She has attended MBIT for three years and has taken advantage of all the school offers. She obtained her Radiation Health and Safety license in her junior year in addition to two other certifications required for the dental industry. She started cooperative education in the summer of her junior year and has been an asset to community dentist, Dr. Mercando. In addition to being an outstanding co-op student, she has maintained a 3.5 or better in her academic and CTE classrooms,” Work-based Education Coordinator, Pamela Swoyer said.

Lorelai has applied to and been accepted at multiple colleges. She is leaning towards attending Kutztown University in pre-dental and as a biology major. She mentors younger students, and serves as an important role model. When on the job she is a true asset to every person in her office and has been extensively cross-trained making her an asset to her co-workers. Lorelai plans to continue working for her practice throughout college and hopes to continue her training with Dr. Mercando, whom she credits with inspiring her to pursue dentistry.

“Lorelai is a textbook example of how students can take full advantage of the opportunity that career and technical education offers. Lorelai is fully prepared to enter the workforce, is already accepted into college, and will maximize her opportunity by doing both. She is now experiencing the competitive advantage that career and technical education offers,” said Administrative Director of Middle Bucks Institute of Technology Dr. Mark Covelle remarked.