The following announcement was received from Debbie Kostas, a candidate for election to the Shawsheen Tech Regional School Board. The Town Election will be held on Saturday, March 9th, from 8 am to 6 pm.
My name is Debbie Kostas, and I am very excited to formally announce my candidacy for the Shawsheen Tech Regional School Board.
I am a mom with four school-aged children. As a trained teacher whose journey began in a vocational high school, I have a broad and appropriate background, experience, and the perspective necessary for this position. As a business education teacher, my role was to provide my students a solid academic foundation, impart skills training, and coach the students on successful resume writing and interviewing techniques. This is exactly what vocational education is all about. It is incredibly rewarding to help a student achieve their dreams.
I attended and graduated from Greater Lowell Regional Vocational Technical High School where I majored in Business Technology. I received my Associate’s Degree in Business Education from Northern Essex Community College and my Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Education from Salem State College. I taught in Boston at a private non-profit post-secondary business and trade school providing quality job training to young adults. I was a corporate computer trainer where I instructed business professionals throughout New York and New England how to maximize their productivity through a vast array of software programs. I taught at many companies including NYNEX, State Street Bank, TJX, Raytheon, Stride Rite, EMC, Saucony, CVS, Pratt and Whitney to name a few. I also worked for a leading provider of anatomic pathology systems. This medical software was installed in community hospitals, multi-hospital networks, and reference laboratories in the U.S. and Canada. We trained and supported more than 250 facilities all over the country including a contract with the Department of Defense.
Education and volunteerism have always been a large part of my life. I have served many roles in my children’s schools from room parent to chairing committees including Fifth Grade Challenge Day, planning and coordinating teacher lunches, and acting as publicity manager for the school play. I enjoy keeping busy, staying involved, and collaborating as a member of a team. I have worked with and taught people from many walks of life—from high school kids to corporate professionals, from the homeless of Boston to police officers and our military. This past summer my husband and I were the adult group leaders for a Cape Cod youth group of 80 kids between the ages of 12-17.
I feel compelled to give back. I have always planned on re-entering my field, and now the time is right. Greater Lowell and its wonderful teachers provided me with such a great education and an abundance of opportunities. There I discovered my talents, gained confidence in myself, and obtained my first job through the Co-op program. At Greater Lowell, I received my first taste of politics– being elected as an officer in both the Student Council and business clubs.
I look forward to the opportunity to work with Superintendent Charlie Lyons and the entire Shawsheen Tech Regional School Board to continue their great work—the amazing vision and progress of the school. I strongly believe there are many students in Bedford who would benefit from all that Shawsheen has to offer. Vocational education was the springboard to much of my professional success. I would consider it an honor and privilege to represent the Town of Bedford on the Shawsheen Tech School Board. Please consider a vote for me on March 9. Thank you.
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