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March 15, 2023Hundreds of Area High School Students to Compete In Regional Workplace Skills Competition
Nearly 300 high school students from the Capital Region, North Country, Hudson Valley and beyond will be at SUNY Schenectady County Community College on March 16 to challenge their peers in a host of job skills events as part of the regional SkillsUSA competition.
And for the first time, more than 50 additional high school students from the same regions will be competing at Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical Education Center – Albany Campus on the same day, testing their skills in everything from automotive to heating equipment repair and nursing as part of the annual SkillsUSA competition.
Students from nearly every Capital Region high school will be taking part in the events at both locations, hoping to advance to represent their region at the New York State SkillsUSA competition in late-April.
“This is an important event as it allows students to challenge themselves as well as utilize their skills to compete against others trained in the same fields. Competition reinforces the value of the skills learned and allows competitors to interact with their peers with similar interest,” said Deb Toy, a social worker on the Career and Technical Education Center- Albany Campus and a SkillsUSA advisor. “According to our business partners, the need for students to have these skills and to prepare to fill the middle skills jobs gap has never been greater.”
Students competing say they look forward to challenging themselves and networking.
“I look forward to going to see how far I can go with SkillsUSA,” said Demari Perkins, a junior from Watervliet in the Network Cabling Tech/Smart Home Technology program. He will be competing in the Extemporaneous Speaking competition.
“I did skills last year and I thought it was great. I enjoyed meeting the people and talking to everyone and showing what I can do,” said Ruby Culletto, a Sharon Springs senior competing for BOCES in the commercial baking competition.
“I think SkillsUSA is a great opportunity and the competition offers a professional experience that will help me in the future,” added Dezirae Yowell, a Berne-Knox-Westerlo senior in the Cosmetology program competing the extemporaneous speaking competition.
Several past SkillsUSA competitors, including Saratoga Chef and Food Network TV series Chopped Champion Michelle Hunter, said competing in the SkillsUSA event had a long-lasting impact on their future.
“I did a lot of competitions in BOCES for SkillsUSA and I did a few after that and they all taught me to prepare and over plan to make sure the timing was right,” said Hunter, a 2007 BOCES graduate.
“The best experience at BOCES was without a doubt going to SkillsUSA. I got a look into what ‘grind time’ in the industry looked like, working your hardest every minute you can to create work that you can be proud of,” said Evan Pollard, a 2018 graduate from Guilderland who competed in the Game Design & Implementation program. Evan now owns his own graphic design company in South Carolina.
Winners of the competition can advance onto the state SkillsUSA competition in April and, from there, the national event in June.
In the past, Capital Region BOCES has fielded several state and national champions, as well as prepared competitors for the national stage.
SkillsUSA is a career and technical student organization serving more than 395,000 high school and students. The organization promotes personal and professional growth and offers students the opportunity to compete at the local, regional, state and national levels. The organization also promotes giving back to the community, which locally results in collections each year for food pantries and city missions.
Students representing Capital Region BOCES during the competition are listed below. Their name in followed by the competition they are taking part in, their BOCES program and their home school district.
Albany Campus
- Emily Burdikoff, Photography Competition, Digital Media Program, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (BHBL)
- Tristyn Bushey, Culinary Arts, Culinary Arts & Hospitality Tech, Shenendehowa
- Giovanni Centra, Action Skills Basic, Cosmetology, South Colonie
- Tucker Cherry, Auto Service Technology, Auto Service Technology, Niskayuna
- Caleb Close, Extemporaneous Speaking, Network Cabling Tech/Smart Home Technology, Shenendehowa
- Robert Conners, Culinary Arts, Culinary Arts & Hospitality Tech, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk (RCS)
- Landen Dayton, Auto Vehicle Maintenance Basic, Automotive Service Technology, Schenectady
- Elijah Edwards, Job Skill Demo, Building Trades, Schenectady
- Kylie Egan, Cosmetology Junior, Cosmetology, Scotia Glenville
- Riley Fisher, Nurse Assisting, Two-Year Sequence of Health Careers, Guilderland
- Nicole Forbes, Job Interview, Digital Media Design, Duanesburg
- Erin Fresn, Commercial Baking, Culinary Arts & Hospitality Tech, BHBL
- Jacob Gilmore, First Aid /CPR, Two-Year Sequence of Health Careers, BHBL
- Jocelyn Howe, House of Delegates, Global Fashion, Mohonasen
- Gino Isabella, Job Interview, Network Cabling Tech/Smart Home Technology, Mohonasen
- Blae Kinzie, Prepared Speech, Machining and Manufacturing Technology, Mohonasen
- Ava Koonz, Nurse Assisting, Two-Year Sequence of Health Careers, South Colonie
- Abigail Ludewig, Action Skills Basic, Pet Tech, Shenendehowa
- Elaina McGrath, Cosmetology Senior, Cosmetology, Bethlehem
- Emily Mickle, Employment Application Process, Retail & Vocational Services, Middleburgh
- Demari Perkins, Extemporaneous Speaking, Network Cabling Tech/Smart Home Technology, Watervliet
- Sadie Plant, Advertising Design, Digital Media, Berne-Knox-Westerlo (BKW)
- Pedro “Mateo” Sanchez, Food Prep Basic, Culinary Arts & Hospitality Tech, Guilderland
- Cody Sherwood, House of Delegates, Network Cabling Tech/Smart Home Technology, Middleburgh
- Cheyenne Shufelt, First Aid/CPR, Two-Year Sequence of Health Careers, Voorheesville
- Joe Spendiff, Auto Service Technology, Automotive Trades Technology, Cohoes
- Ruby Sutphin, Job Skill Demo, Cosmetology, Shenendehowa
- Evan Thomas, Prepared Speech, Network Cabling Tech/Smart Home Technology, BKW
- Emily Tice, Commercial Baking, Culinary Arts & Hospitality Tech, Guilderland
- Haley Titus, House of Delegates, Welding & Metal Fabrication, Schoharie
- Andrew Trowel, Carpenter Assistant Basic, Carpentry Services, Bethlehem
- Tessa Venditti, Cos Senior, Cosmetology, BHBL
*Students with the House of Delegates after their name are not competing. Rather they are representing Capital Region BOCES in SkillsUSA meetings that day.
Schoharie CTE Campus
- Allyson Bates, Cosmetology Senior, Cosmetology, BKW
- Teddy Bechard, Culinary Arts Basic, Culinary Arts & Hospitality Tech, Schalmont
- Michael Bruyette, Culinary Arts, Culinary, Cobleskill-Richmondville (CRCS)
- Jeffrey Caron, CSI, Criminal Justice, BKW
- Gracie Chmura, Promotional Bulleting Board, Cosmetology, Duanesburg
- Ruby Culletto, Commercial Baking, Culinary Arts & Hospitality Tech, Sharon Springs
- Brianna Galka, Cosmetology Senior, Cosmetology, Schalmont
- Drew Hall, Carpentry, Construction/Heavy Equipment, Middleburgh
- Rhiannon Islip, CSI, Criminal Justice, Sharon Springs
- Jeremiah Leger, Promotional Bulletin Board, Construction/Heavy Equipment, Duanesburg
- Kirsten Moran, Customer Service, Criminal Justice, Schalmont
- James Mosbey, Promotional Bulletin Board, Construction/Heavy Equipment, BKW
- Mason Welch, CSI, Criminal Justice, Duanesburg
- Dezirae Yowell, Extemporaneous Speaking, Cosmetology, BKW
- Justice Ebert, Precision Heavy Equipment Operations, Construction/Heavy Equipment, Schoharie
- Kyle Dafeldecker, Carpentry, Construction/Heavy Equipment, CRCS
- Angelina Depina-Desorbo Cosmetology Junior, Cosmetology, Duanesburg
- Bertram Heath, Culinary Arts, Culinary Arts & Hospitality Tech, Schoharie
- Logan McDermott, Auto Services, Automotive Trades Technology, BKW
- Hannah Kaulfuss, Cosmetology Junior, Cosmetology, BKW
- Savannah Traverse, Prepared Speech, Construction/Heavy Equipment, Schoharie
- Jackalyn VanWormer, Automotive Services, Automotive Trades Technology, CRCS
- William Wetsell, Auto Services, Automotive Trades Technology, CRCS
