Student reporter, Miguel Hernandez, wrote this story.
On February 13th Mr Codio and Ms. Cumberbatch received CTE awards. CTE stands for Career and Technical Education. These are electives that teach students about a certain career, Architecture being one of those careers. The award received recognizes the hard work and dedication teachers have put into educating students about their fields with a high standard in their classrooms. A CTE award is an amazing award to have received.
How Did They Get There?
When Mr. Cornell arrived at WHSAD as principal, the architecture program was struggling and nowhere near how it should have been. Mr. Codio was one of the first people hired by Mr. Cornell, in an attempt to fix the program. Mr. Codio would go on to be a vital member of not only the Architecture progam, but of WHSAD as a whole. The two, along with Ms. Bruno, who oversees the program, worked together to build the program from scratch. Codio would work endless hours, both inside and outside of the classroom to create a better architecture program. The result? The introduction of partnerships with firms and companies with WHSAD. Mr. Codio would be monumental in creating these, as he would work to build relationships with the architecture firms and related organizations. With his help along with Ms. Wilson, who works as our Work-Based Learning Coordinator, they developed dozens of partnerships that students regularly work with. These partnerships provide real world experiences and, oftentimes, even paid opportunities.
Mr. Codio is a dedicated person, who would commit so much for the betterment of the students at WHSAD. Not only has he worked on creating partnerships he is also the 12th grade architecture teacher whose course mainly focuses on autoCAD. autoCAD is a program that focuses on creating, modeling, and designing in 2d and 3d. This is an extremely useful tool that is used in many fields, including Architecture, Design, Engineering, Project management, real estate development and construction. His class helps students learn the tools in autoCAD, with everything leading up to the autoCAD exam. autoCAD describes the exam as a tool used to stand out from the rest: “Autodesk credentials help you stand out to hiring managers and earn you peer recognition as an industry leader. They differentiate you in a competitive job market and build your personal brand by highlighting in-demand, transferable skills.” With everything Mr. Codio does, nearly every student who takes the autoCAD exam passes. Jake, a senior at WHSAD, commented, “[Mr. Codio] Gets stuff done. He knows how to motivate others and push people to become better. He’s not holding your hand the whole time. He makes students become good at being independent and having agency.”
What About Ms. Cumberbatch?
Ms. Cumberbatch, though, was a student herself here at WHSAD, class of 2014. While at WHSAD, she developed a passion for architecture. When Mr. Cornell was interviewed about Ms. Cumberbatch, he noted: “As a student, she was talented and ambitious. Like many people, she was still figuring out her path for the future. She developed a strength and passion for architecture, and now is a teacher, educating and guiding students into the world of Architecture. There’s always a great sense of pride in seeing a former student succeed, and what makes her story especially meaningful is that she returned to teach in the very field our school is built around—architecture.” Ms. Cumberbatch stands as proof of the potential students have when coming to WHSAD.
Mr. Codio and Ms. Cumberbatch are very connected with students here. As stated earlier, Mr. Codio spends a lot of his time with students in the classroom. He constantly helps out on projects within the school. Recently, WHSAD had its annual theater production, Cinderella, and Mr. Codio led a group of students in designing and building sets. They even managed to get a working carriage for the play.
Ms. Cumberbatch meanwhile helps out in different ways in WHSAD. As the 9th grade architecture teacher, she holds the important role of introducing students to the world of architecture. Mr. Cornell remarks on the way she handles it: “She does an excellent job introducing students not just to the technical side of architecture, but to the core design concepts that underpin the field. That early foundation is critical, and she handles it exceptionally well.” Ms Cumberbatch started with a large sense in Architecture and design, which is partly why she has been so successful. Not only that, but she has been able to take these new experiences and grow as a teacher. She’s a great leader, and works very well with students.
Ms. Cumberbatch also organized and led the Pep Rally, which was held a while back. The pep rally was a big success. Many people, both students and teachers, attended and had a great time. Ms. Cumberbatch is also very connected to helping rising seniors raise money. She regularly helps organize bake sales and sells food during lunchtime to help out seniors with lowering senior dues. Events such as the senior day/overnight trips are lower thanks to her.
Both Ms. Cumberbatch and Mr. Codio have a strong follow-through, meaning they see their objectives to the end. They’re people who take what they know, use what they learn, and improve all the time. WHSAD as a whole is proud to have both Mr. Codio and Ms. Cumberbatch as recipients of the 2026 CTE awards. Both of them show leadership, dedication, and share the goal of making sure that WHSAD as a whole, not just the architecture program, is a better place.