Core values, including respect, to live by at the HACTC

By Alexandra Stanton-Pierce and Reese Lesser, Cosmetology

At the Hartford Area Career and Technology Center (HACTC) we have core values that students live by. One of the arguably most important ones is Respect. When we do the work we are assigned, when we listen to our teacher, when we wait our turn to use communal resources, and many more daily things, we are respecting our school and those around us. Respect is in everything we do at the HACTC. 

At the HACTC there are morning classes for seniors and afternoon classes for juniors, so we are sharing resources and spaces with the other students in our program and those in the same program before or after us. As two people who are in the Cosmetology program, we have learned how important it is to keep our shared stations and spaces organized and clean and fully set up for the morning students with whom we share our stations. Doing this is a way we show respect for other students. We also make sure to go forward with our given tasks in a way that does not disturb others or our teacher, and we listen to our teacher when we are told to do something or not to do something in order to show respect and be able to keep moving forward with our progress in the program. This is a way we might show respect for our teachers at the HACTC.

Both of these examples are about how important it is for students to respect others. But respect is not one sided. One of the many ways our instructors and advisors show respect to us is by listening to us when we have a problem or a complaint and do their best to help us improve our experience. Respect is how we at the HACTC are able to remain safe and comfortable and keep our programs and the school going. 

We all want different things out of life, and the HACTC makes it so that we can start on whatever path we choose. Respect is one of our core values at the HACTC and why we make sure to keep that value in mind when trying to reach our goals.