Local teacher honored by state

Hill City’s career and technical education (CTE) teacher Travis Santistevan was recently honored by his peers for all the work he does to advance CTE. 

Santistevan was awarded both the Trades and Industry Division Teacher of the Year and the South Dakota Association for Career and Technical Education (SDACTE) Teacher of the Year honor.  

This is Santistevan’s fourth year in Hill City, but he is starting his 15th year as a classroom teacher. He was not the only local to be nominated and honored by the SDACTE.

Fawn Wilde was named the SDACTE  Postsecondary Professional of the Year award at the state level. Wilde is an instructor at Western Dakota Technical College (WDTC). The school recently was awarded $4 million which will be used to create a new gunsmithing program. The first cohort of students is expected to begin in fall 2027. WDTC is expanding its current programs as well. 

Santistevan said Wilde is essential to the CTE program, working tirelessly to streamline the process for getting federal grants, which helps programs get the equipment they need. 

“She really makes our lives easier to apply,” Santistevan said, calling Wilde “super phenomenal.”

State winners advance to the SDACTE Region V competition which is held in April. SDACTE is 100 years old. It is structured into five different regions. 

Region V consists of 17 states and territories in the U.S. It is geographically diverse, including Alaska, Hawaii, California, South Dakota and some of its neighboring states. Santistevan is the president of the SDACTE, whose mission is to empower educators with the leadership and resources necessary to cultivate a highly skilled and competitive workforce.

Dean Kurtz Construction was also recognized in the SDACTE awards as a Friend of CTE at the state level. Santistevan said Hill City works directly with Dean Kurtz which “will do anything” to support the students from pouring concrete to running camps and competitions. 

The Hill City current program was built on a solid foundation, said Santistevan. The numbers he sees in his classroom reflect that, and the program continues to grow. He is constantly working hard to keep updated on CTE, a program which he said “is changing all the time.” 

He is a member of the SDACTE and stays in contact with the South Dakota Department of Transportation and industry partners to know how the field is changing. 

“Not every kid is that college bonus four-year degree” student, Santistevan said, reiterating Hill City superintendent Blake Gardner says CTE creates a pathway for everybody. 

Updating facilities in Hill City is a priority with no specific timeline.

The district’s existing CTE facility was built in the 1970s. 

A new facility would separate welding and carpentry equipment currently housed in the same shop  versus the tiny shop students work in now. 

“We want to give the kids the best opportunities,” Santistevan said, explaining how important an expanded footprint has on the growing needs of the program. 

Expanded facilities would help promote the trades and make it a “plan A” for students who see this as a viable career path. The jobs don’t require the debt of going to college, they pay well and are important jobs within the community, Santistevan said. 

Students at Hill City focus on finish carpentry or construction trades which includes plumbing, electrical, HVAC and even concrete. 

“We hit all of them,”  Santistevan said about the construction trades. 

He will have 40 students total in all his classes in the first semester of the 2026-27 school year.