Tom Burden, a 2009 graduate of Tri Star's Engineering Technology program, was the featured speaker at the 2019 Ohio ACTE Connections to Education Conference in Columbus. Burden was asked to speak at the conference because of his career technical education background and his success. Burden, who is from Celina, Ohio, attended Tri Star's precision machining and the engineering technology programs. After graduating high school and serving in the military, Burden went on to invent the Grypmat and appeared on Shark Tank securing three 'sharks'.

The Ohio Association of Career and Technical Education holds the annual Connections to Education Conference each summer for career technical educators and partners. Approximately 650 attended this year's conference including Tri Star administrators Tim Buschur, Julie Schosker, and Brian Stetler. Tom is pictured with Beth Bronker, Ohio ACTE Secretary and Christine Gardner, Ohio ACTE Executive Director holding Burden's Grypmat.