Nearly 70 students from 19 area school districts will represent Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical Education programs during a statewide SkillsUSA competition that will test their abilities in the skilled trades and in-demand career industries.
The students, who hail from diverse school districts, such as Schenectady and Sharon Springs, Cobleskill-Richmondville and Watervliet, are competing in events that showcase their work-related skills. The competition will be held at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse from April 26-28. Winners from that event will advance to the national SkillsUSA competition in June.
SkillsUSA competition provides a forum for students to showcase their knowledge
Students compete in everything from showcasing proper welding techniques to demonstrating how to solve a crime through their learned crime scene investigatory skills.
“I hope to get first, second or third place because they all show the skills you have. Going to states means a lot to me,” said A.J. Trowell, who attends BOCES from Bethlehem.
“Winning regionals was pretty surreal. I am looking forward to going to states and exceeding my limits,” added Demari Perkins, who attends BOCES from Watervliet.
The students attend the Career & Technical Education Center Albany and Schoharie Campuses from the following school districts: Berne-Knox-Westerlo (BKW), Bethlehem, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (BHBL), Cobleskill-Richmondville (CRCS), Duanesburg, Green Island, Guilderland, Middleburgh, Mohonasen, Niskayuna, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk (RCS), Schalmont, Schenectady, Schoharie, Scotia-Glenville, Sharon Springs, Shenendehowa, South Colonie and Watervliet.
Students said they enjoy the challenge of competing at a state-wide level.
“It’s stressful, but exciting. It’s teaching me how to get out of my comfort zone and talk to people I don’t know,” said Emily Mickle, a Middleburgh student competing in the Employment Application Process competition.
Taking part in the competition, their program and their home school districts are as follows:
Albany Campus
- Zachary Apkarian, Health Knowledge Bowl, Two-Year Sequence of Health Careers, Niskayuna
- Elyssa Bailey, Health Knowledge Bowl, Two-Year Sequence of Health Careers, Green Island
- Sophia Berlin, Fashion Design, Global Fashion, Bethlehem
- Emily Burdikoff, Photography Competition, Digital Media Program, BHBL
- Dylan Carl, Welding, Welding & Metal Fabrication, Guilderland
- Ian Catarina, Health Knowledge Bowl, Two-Year Sequence of Health Careers, Scotia-Glenville
- Giovanni Centra, Action Skills Basic, Cosmetology, South Colonie
- Tucker Cherry, Auto Service Technology, Auto Service Technology, Niskayuna
- Chloe Colon, Cosmetology Quiz Bowl, Cosmetology, Mohonasen
- Robert Conners, Culinary Arts, Culinary Arts & Hospitality Tech, RCS
- Genevieve Cooper, Culinary Quiz Bowl, Shenendehowa
- Madison Davern, Esthetics Model, RCS
- Navarah Davis, Culinary Quiz Bowl, Mohonasen
- Elijah Edwards, Job Skill Demo, Building Trades, Schenectady
- Molly Foote, Cosmetology Quiz Bowl, Cosmetology, Guilderland
- 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
- Tyler Furgason, Interactive Application Video, Schenectady
- Lily Galluccio, Culinary Quiz Bowl, Culinary, Schenectady
- Elaina Garmer, Medical Terminology, New Visions: Health Careers, Mohonasen
- Oliva Harris, Esthetics, Cosmetology, Mohonasen
- Jocelyn Howe, House of Delegates, Global Fashion, Mohonasen
- Blae Kinzie, Prepared Speech, Machining and Manufacturing Technology, Mohonasen
- Ava Koonz, Nurse Assisting, Two-Year Sequence of Health Careers, South Colonie
- Tyler Lloyd, Welding Fabrication, Welding, Schoharie
- Caidan Marks, Auto Refinishing Technology, Auto Body Repair, Scotia-Glenville
- Kaylee Marrano, Banner Contest, Digital Media Design, Shenendehowa
- Remy Marziani, Cosmetology Quiz Bowl, Cosmetology, Guilderland
- Brandon Martott, CNC 3-Axis Milling Programmer, Manufacturing and Machining Technology, RCS
- Corsignana McCadden, Cosmetology Quiz Bowl, Cosmetology, Scotia-Glenville
- Elaina McGrath, Cosmetology Senior, Cosmetology, Bethlehem
- Emily Mickle, Employment Application Process, Retail & Vocational Services, Middleburgh
- Ethan Morrell, Welding Fabrication, Welding, Schoharie
- Reagan Pedinotti, Welding Sculpture, Welding, Schalmont
- Demari Perkins, Extemporaneous Speaking, Network Cabling Tech/Smart Home Technology, Watervliet
- Sadie Plant, Advertising Design, Digital Media, BKW
- Philip Ramos, Collision Repair Technology, Auto Body Repair, Shenendehowa
- Pedro “Mateo” Sanchez, Food Prep Basic, Culinary Arts & Hospitality Tech, Guilderland
- Cody Sherwood, House of Delegates, Network Cabling Tech/Smart Home Technology, Middleburgh
- Clay Smith, Welding Fabrication, Welding, BKW
- Jackson Stone, CNC 3-Axis Milling Programmer, Manufacturing and Machining Technology, Guilderland
- Ruby Sutphin, Job Skill Demo, Cosmetology, Shenendehowa
- Ryan Sweeney, Banner Contest, Digital Media Design, Guilderland
- Dane Tatro, Diesel Equipment Technology, Diesel Tech, BHBL
- 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
- Vincent Unser, Interactive Application Video, Game Design & Implementation, Schalmont
- Brianna Venditti, Health Knowledge Bowl, BHBL
- Tessa Venditti, Cos Senior, Cosmetology, BHBL
- Chloe Armstrong, Welding Fabrication, Welding, Schoharie
- Meka Boncie-Machin, Welding Fabrication, Welding, Scotia-Glenville
- Parker Macri, Welding Fabrication, Welding, Voorheesville
Schoharie Campus
- Allyson Bates, Cosmetology Senior, Cosmetology, BKW
- Michael Bruyette, Culinary Arts, Culinary, 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
- Rhiannon Islip, CSI, Criminal Justice, Sharon Springs
- Kirsten Moran, Customer Service, Criminal Justice, Schalmont
- James Mosbey, Promotional Bulletin Board, Construction/Heavy Equipment, BKW
- Mason Welch, CSI, Criminal Justice, Duanesburg
- Justice Ebert, Precision Heavy Equipment Operations, Construction/Heavy Equipment, Schoharie
- Kyle Dafeldecker, Carpentry, Construction/Heavy Equipment, CRCS
- Kaitlyn Deminski, Food Prep Basic, Culinary Arts, CRCS
- Angelina Depina-Desorbo Cosmetology Junior, Cosmetology, Duanesburg
- Trenton Robert, Electrical Construction Wiring, Electrical Trades, Middleburgh
- Rhianna Varin, Cosmetology Senior, Cosmetology, Duanesburg
Learn more about SkillsUSA
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.
Visit the SkillsUSA website for more information about the organization. All Career & Technical Education students are eligible for free membership.