Several area high school students took part in a statewide leadership conference recently held at The Desmond Hotel – Crown Plaza.
The students—all enrolled in the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical Education Center—took part in the SkillsUSA Fall Leadership conference during which they honed their leadership, communication and professional skills, said Debra Toy, SkillsUSA Advisor on the Albany Campus.
Approximately 300 high school students from across the state attended the event, which served as the culmination of several leadership training and development events that state officers attend during the summer and fall months.
Attending the conference from the Schoharie Career and Technical Education Campus were:
- President Annabella Brunette, Cosmetology, Schalmont
- Treasurer Jordan Jones, Criminal Justice, Berne-Knox-Westerlo (BKW)
- Media/Public Relations Coordinator Shaeli Gravell, Culinary Arts, Schalmont
- Secretary-Caylee Faulkner-Early Childhood
Schoharie representatives
Attending the conference from the Albany Campus were:
- Vice President Danielle Gabourel, Two-Year Sequence of Health Careers II, Niskayuna
- Parliamentarian Liliyana Alicea, Two-Year Sequence of Health Careers, Schenectady
- Secretary Lucy Spor, Digital Media Design I, Duanesburg
- President Nathan Fischer, Heavy Equipment II, Niskayuna
SkillsUSA advisors said the students had a great opportunity to learn at the event.
“It was a rewarding fun experience for all the students involved,” said Gretchen McDonough, a teacher and advisor for the Schoharie chapter of the organization. “The students had a chance to work on teambuilding, leadership and how to manage community and they learned a lot about the SkillsUSA organization and had a chance to make connections with other SkillsUSA officers throughout New York State.”
SkillsUSA is a career and technical student organization serving more than 395,000 high school and college 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, locally resulting in collections each year for food pantries and city missions.