The Peru Gazette

Michelin awards $500 scholarships to each student

News Release Plattsburgh, NY – December 22, 2025 – TDC is pleased to announce the awardees of the “Best Booth” competition at 2025 Manufacturing Day as a group of high school students from Northeastern Clinton Central School who worked with the local team at Michelin to design the winning display. Each student participating in the creation of the Michelin booth has been awarded $500 that can be used for tuition and fees associated with courses through Clinton Community College.

Members of the winning team include Ben Brenahan, Evias Carpenter, Kaze Carpenter, Kevin Castine, Carter Garceau, Seth Rabideau, Otis Reed, and Noah Seller. Their school supervisor is Nicholas Trombley, a physics teacher at NCCS. Awardees were selected following a tally of the votes cast by attending eighth-grade students from schools across the tri-county region, who visited each of the displays and voted by ballot at the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing at Clinton Community College.

Clinton Community College Acting President Ken Knelly said, “Congratulations to the winning team for their creativity and dedication in making North Country Manufacturing Day 2025 such a success. Clinton Community College is proud to host this event at the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing, connecting students from our local school districts with real-world opportunities. We look forward to building on this tradition and inspiring the next generation of innovators.”

Awardees designed an interactive display at which they acted as representatives for Michelin, teaching their peers about the company, employment opportunities in Plattsburgh, and offering the opportunity for attendees to see items produced locally by Michelin and learn about their global use and impact. Their booth included a hands-on opportunity showcasing snowmobile tire treads. 

“The talent and effort displayed by these students was outstanding, and we’re proud to celebrate their achievements,” said D. Billy Jones, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Workforce Development. “Events like this reflect our mission of the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing at Clinton CC—strengthening partnerships with local employers and preparing a skilled workforce for the future.”

2025 Manufacturing Day offered a new, project-based approach to the event. Groups of high school students from across the tri-county region were paired with area manufacturers over the course of several weeks to learn about their assigned company and create booths and activities to educate eighth-grade attendees. 

Local manufacturers dedicated significant time and support to the participating high school students, hosting tours and participating in additional meetings to offer guidance and support as the students developed their booth designs and activities. 

“TDC congratulates the NCCS and Michelin team for their winning booth design scholarships to Clinton Community College,” said Danielle King, President and CEO of TDC. “We are proud to continue supporting these opportunities through initiatives like Manufacturing Day and our new scholarship for CAP New Visions Applied Engineering students. These initiatives are just two examples of how TDC works to further our mission of creating and retaining quality jobs by investing in the development of an engaged and skilled workforce to draw companies to our area. Reaching students as young as the eighth grade to share the opportunities right here in the greater Plattsburgh area and beyond is critical to cultivating tomorrow’s employees and strengthening our economy.”

TDC continues to foster an environment where businesses and industrial investment can thrive, creating jobs and supporting sustainable economic development in the North Country.

For more information about TDC and its efforts to support local businesses, please visit www.tdcnny.com.