Students Compete in SkillsUSA District 10 Championships
by Elia McKnight, Electrical Occupations junior
One of the distinguishing features of our school (and most vocational centers) is the focus on career paths that don’t push/require a college education. Whether you are seeking to pursue a job in a field you love, work in a hands-on environment, or perhaps college is just not right for you, vocational schools are a more attractive choice than ever. Our school provides several opportunities and aids to entering the workforce right out of high school, such as shop co-op programs, direct local industry networking, and cutting-edge instruction from our top-notch faculty. However, the premier vehicle for the most highly skilled to enter the workforce directly out of school is SkillsUSA.
SkillsUSA is a national organization for students in trade, industrial, technical and healthcare education. Its annual sponsorship of the SkillsUSA Championships, at the district, state, and national levels, recognizes the achievements of career and technical education students and encourages them to strive for excellence and pride in their chosen occupations.
Typically held almost exclusively at New Castle School of Grades, in an effort to provide as much social distancing as possible, this year, our school had the honor to take part in hosting our District 10 competition. Working against the clock and participants from eleven different vocational schools in the Western PA district, each contestant displayed their expertise in job skills for occupations such as electronics, technical drafting, precision machining, medical assisting and culinary arts. There were also competitions in leadership skills, such as extemporaneous speaking and conducting meetings according to parliamentary procedures. In all, approximately 350 high school students competed in sixty skill and leadership contests, taking place at either LCCTC or the New Castle School of Trades (NCST). Forty-six of those dedicated students were our own LCCTC students:
Action Skills ~ Madison Hougelman (junior VA, Hermitage)
Advertising Design ~ Caden Hall (junior CA, Shenango)
MLR (Automotive Maintenance and Light Repair) ~ Raeann Sellers (junior AT, Ellwood)
Automotive Service Technology ~ Cody Mora (junior AT, Ellwood)
Basic Health Care Skills ~ Darius Coe (junior HA, New Castle)
Carpentry ~ Bryan Hobel (junior CT, Mohawk)
CNC Mill ~ Christopher Casuccio (senior MTT, Ellwood)
CNC Technician ~ Amber Birckbichler (senior MTT, Mohawk)
CNC Turning ~ Caden Wingo (junior MTT, Ellwood)
Commercial Baking ~ Briana Hernandez (senior RT, New Castle)
Cosmetology ~ Jessica Fair (senior COS, Wilmington)
Culinary Arts ~ Kya Locke (senior RT, Ellwood)
Electrical Construction Wiring ~ David Perrine (senior EO, Union)
Employment Application Process ~ Ian Stoneking (junior HA, Ellwood)
Esthetics ~
Skye Moore (senior COS, New Castle)
Model ~ Ava Hiler (sophomore COS, New Castle)
Extemporaneous Speaking ~ Gabrielle Treece (sophomore VA, Union)
First Aid/CPR ~ Halie Diffenbacher (senior HA, Mohawk)
Health Occupations Professional Portfolio ~ Parker Frelin (senior HA, Ellwood)
Industrial Motor Control ~ Walter McKnight (junior EO, Laurel)
Job Interview ~ Jolenna Street (sophomore VA, Ellwood)
Job Skill Demonstration A ~ Stacey Bailey (sophomore VA, Shenango)
Masonry ~ Anthony Procopio (sophomore CT, Mohawk)
Medical Terminology ~ Donelle Jones (junior HA, New Castle)
Nurse Assisting ~ Destiny Fishel (junior HA, Laurel)
Opening & Closing Ceremonies:
Lucellia Allen (junior RT, New Castle)
Alexis Koelliker (senior COS, Shenango)
Katie Bober (senior VA, Laurel)
Daniella Wetzel (senior RT, New Castle)
Elia Rae McKnight (junior EO, Laurel)
Katherine Tillia (junior CA, Ellwood)
Maylene Ritter (senior COS, Ellwood)
Pin Design ~ Mackenzie Helle (senior CA, Union)
Precision Machine ~ Daniel Fornataro (senior MTT, Ellwood)
Restaurant Service ~ Fawlen Lykins (junior RT, New Castle)
T-Shirt Design ~ Leo Drespling (sophomore CA, Laurel)
TeamWorks Team:
Antonio Short (senior CT, New Castle)
Devin Purdy (senior CT, Shenango)
Christopher Leist (junior CT, Mohawk)
Karsten Alwardt (junior EO, Laurel)
Welding ~ Hunter Biddle (senior WEL, Ellwood)
Welding Fabrication Team:
Joseph Greco (senior WEL, New Castle)
Brady Zook (junior WEL, New Castle)
Dillon Wheaton (senior WEL, Neshannock)
Being a competitor in SkillsUSA is an honor and privilege that requires skill and dedication as each school only sends one competitor for each skill event. SkillsUSA leverages the competitive spirit to put future talent on display and is an opportunity to get your name out there for employers to notice.
Health Assistant senior Halie Diffenbacher comments, “SkillsUSA has impacted my life in the most positive ways. Entrepreneurs love to see active involvement in it on a resume, and who knows – it could even lead to a job offer immediately after competitions!
“On Friday,” Diffenbacher continues, “I had the opportunity to put my skills to the test and was able to compete in my First Aid and CPR competition against almost a dozen different schools who had sent their best of the best. Even if I don’t win, I still had the pleasure to show off my skills.”
Senior Joseph Greco adds, “SkillsUSA can definitely get your career on the right track; for me, it has given me a sense of not only leadership, but teamwork, which is important. Our team got to meet more experienced workers in the field which was pretty cool.”
LCCTC SkillsUSA competitors are a source of pride for our entire school! We are excited to see what amazing things they will accomplish in the future. Next time you see one of our competitors, be sure to let them know you are cheering them on.
On Friday afternoon, we will celebrate our students’ willingness to put their skills to the test at the SkillsUSA District 10 Competition. SkillsUSA students will congregate in the gym to prepare for the award ceremony and shortly thereafter, the remaining students and faculty will be invited to join; parents of competing SkillsUSA members are also invited to attend. LCCTC looks forward to seeing these students' accomplishments recognized. Whether they're taking the next big step to the next competition at States, remaining at LCCTC to prepare for next year’s competition, or competing for that next great job, we are so proud of them all.
SkillsUSA is the national organization for students in trade, industrial, technical and health occupations education. Annually, it sponsors the SkillsUSA Championships at the district, state, and national levels to recognize the achievements of career and technical education students and to encourage them to strive for excellence and pride in their chosen occupations. Working against the clock and each other, the participants proved their expertise in job skills for occupations such as electronics, technical drafting, precision machining, medical assisting and culinary arts. There were also competitions in leadership skills, such as extemporaneous speaking and conducting meetings by parliamentary procedures.
SkillsUSA is a vital solution to help close the skills gap. This nonprofit partnership of students, instructors and industry ensures America has the skilled workforce it needs to stay competitive. Founded in 1965 and endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education, the association serves more than 360,000-member students and instructors each year in middle schools, high schools, and colleges. This diverse talent pipeline covers 130 trade, technical, and skilled service occupations, the majority STEM-related. More than 600 corporations, trade associations, businesses, and labor unions support SkillsUSA at the national level. SkillsUSA programs are integrated into career and technical education through a framework of personal, workplace, and technical skills grounded in academics. Local, state, and national championships, designed and judged by industry, set relevant standards for career and technical education, and provide needed recognition to its students. SkillsUSA also offers technical skill assessments and other workplace credentials.
For more information about SkillsUSA, visit SkillsUSA.org.
