SHS Senior Johan Polanco Named Recipient of MAVA Outstanding Vocational Technical Student Award
Mr. Polanco honored Apr. 16 at MAVA Awards Banquet
SALEM (Apr. 27, 2026) – Johan Polanco, a senior at Salem High School, was named the recipient of the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators (MAVA) Outstanding Vocational Technical Student Award, the Association announced on Thursday, Apr. 16.
Marking the 40th year of the presentation of the award, Mr. Polanco was honored on Apr. 16 at the MAVA Awards Banquet at Mechanics Hall in Worcester.
The award, which encompasses all schools in the Commonwealth that offer Career Technical Education (CTE) programming, is presented to a senior who maintains a minimum B average or higher; demonstrated excellence and accomplishment in their career area and/or other organizations with outstanding attendance and work experience.
An Early Education and Care (EEC) student since his freshman year, Mr. Polanco is the first non-traditional SHS EEC student to earn the award. Having been unaware of the honor, he learned of it in a recent classroom visit from Johanny Candelario, SHS Early Education and Care educator and Career Coordinator.
“I didn’t know about this award,” said Mr. Polanco, who immigrated to Salem from the Dominican Republic when he was seven years old. “After working so hard in school and life, I was ecstatic to get this award as something to pay off for my hard work. I was also shaking and calling my mom and friends to let them know about it and immediately began inviting family members.”
Mr. Polanco credits Ms. Candelario, he said, for “getting comfortable by being uncomfortable.”
“(Ms. Candelario) has made me more confident with speaking out loud and presenting,” he noted. “I’ve never seen a teacher as good as she is. She is the best at what she does.”
As a junior, Mr. Polanco represented SHS at the district and state levels of Skills USA Massachusetts, an annual event that empowers students through leadership, career development and technical skill competitions. At the district competition, Mr. Polanco placed second and moved on to the state level at which he placed third among 500 students.
“I’m incredibly proud to see Johan’s growth from the shy, quiet young person as a freshman to the confident, reliable individual he is today,” Ms. Candelario said. “Johan is an exceptional student who truly combines technical excellence with genuine compassion for children. Watching his transformation has inspired me to keep learning, teaching, and pushing other students to believe in themselves and reach their potential.
“He’s persevered in early childhood education, a field where many males are fearful to enter because of societal stigma and misconceptions,” she added. “By choosing this path with confidence, Johan has become a real example for others, proving that early childhood education needs diverse voices and perspectives.”
Mr. Polanco works in the Early Education Center at SHS and has spent the second half of the school year working with kindergarten students at the Bates Elementary School for three class blocks per day (roughly three hours), an experience that has only strengthened his commitment to working with children.
“Among the things I have taken from this experience is that these little kids can show to be so smart at such a young age and it can be quite surprising,” he noted.
While his mother, Agueda, works nights, Mr. Polanco has helped raise his younger brother, Joangel, a grade 4 student at Bates Elementary.
“Johan has worked hard over the years to get to where he is, with confidence in applying best practices with children,” said Mario Sousa, Career Technical Education (CTE) Director and Coop Coordinator at SHS. “In addition to his dedication to children of all ages, he has contributed to the EEC program throughout his time here by supporting peers and the community at large as an ambassador and sharing insightful information to promote the EEC/CTE program.”
Upon graduation, Mr. Polanco plans to attend North Shore Community College to study health sciences, then transfer to Salem State University to earn his pediatric nursing degree. “I absolutely love working with children and wish to work in a hospital setting,” he noted.
He is the son of Agueda Polanco of Salem, Mass.
About Salem Public Schools
Salem Public Schools is an urban public school district in Salem, Massachusetts, a small, diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history. Our leaders and our teachers are passionate about education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement with equity and social-emotional needs as the lens through which we view our work. We respect and value the racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of our students and their families, and have a strong commitment to the Salem community. Salem Public Schools staff unconditionally serves each of our 4,000 students across 11 schools regardless of ability or language.
