The 2023 New York State SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Championships took place at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, NY from April 26-28. BOCES 2 Career and Technical Education was represented by more than 100 students as competitors, delegates, event workers and guests.
Twenty-one BOCES 2 CTE students combined for 10 medals in the championship competitions. Three students from WEMOCO CTE Center placed first in their respective competitions: Automotive Technology student Adrian Bartz (Brockport) in Automotive Maintenance and Light Repair; Introduction to Construction Trades student Logan Cameron (Greece) in Carpenter's Assistant Basic; and Dental Assisting student Briana Lewis (Brockport) in Dental Assisting.
Five BOCES 2 CTE students combined for second-place finishes across three competitions in Syracuse. Individual second-place awards were won by Outdoor Powersports Technology student Aaron Caballero (Churchville-Chili) in Motorcycle Service Technology and HVAC/Plumbing student Owen Donovan (Brockport) in Plumbing. Three female Carpentry students collaborated for a second-place finish in Occupational Health and Safety: Stephanie Maar (Brockport), Anastasia Miles (Greece) and Nicole Pilon (Hilton).
Four bronze medals were won by a combined 11 BOCES 2 CTE students. Auto Body and Collision Repair Technology student Aiden Gilbert (Churchville-Chili) won third place in Collision Damage Appraisal. Culinary Arts student Malia Sainpaulin (Wheatland-Chli) also took home a third-place win for her work in Food Preparation Basic. Collaborating for a third-place team win in Team Works were Carpentry students Matt Dearman (Brockport) and Iliya Prus (Greece); HVAC/Plumbing student Jackson Gretzinger (Hilton); and Residential and Commercial Electrical student Joseph Trostle (Greece). Seven Computer Technology students worked together to finish third in Opening and Closing Team: Jacob Chatt (Greece), Aidan Elliott (Kendall), Michai Jones (Wheatland-Chili), Riley Knopp (Holley), Mason Merriam (Holley), Thomas Phelan (Gates Chili) and Ashton Streber (Gates Chili).
Leadership activities are also a core function of the event and BOCES 2 CTE had three students participating in leadership roles and activities. SkillsUSA New York Area 1 Vice President and HVAC/Plumbing student Ryan Frank (Holley) joined SkillsUSA New York Reporter and Dental Assisting student Isabella Campbell (Greece) in one of their final events as state leaders. Dental Assisting student Kayla Waddell-Martin (Greece) was elected the 2023-24 Area 1 Vice President at Regionals in March and attended the state conference for leadership purposes as well.
In addition to the state-level elected positions, 12 BOCES 2 CTE students represented the WEMOCO SkillsUSA chapter as delegates: Cosmetology student Erin Bills (Kendall); Dental Assisting students Samantha Petroff (Gates Chili), Aliya Plaskett (Brockport), Sydney Poormon (Brockport), Mya Rivers (Greece), Gracie Robb (Kendall), Tori Schnauber (Spencerport), Emily Van Ornum (Brockport), Calli Wamser (Greece) and Sarah Weiss (Greece); and Heavy Equipment Operation and Maintenance students Samuel Brown (Gates Chili) and Tyler Caballero (Churchville-Chili).
BOCES 2 CTE students could also be found throughout the event as skilled workers. Exercise Science student Charles Adams (Spencerport) served as a contest helper. Four Criminal Justice students helped at the event as New York State Security Corps members: Corrina Leo (Hilton), Gabe Loran (Kendall), Cameron Parina (Hilton) and Nicholas Torres (Greece).
Additionally, a group of CTE students and staff members attended Thursday’s competition day as observers.
During the Friday awards ceremony, BOCES 2 CTE was honored for the chapter’s excellence. State officers acknowledged the Model of Excellence distinction, in addition to presenting the state traveling trophy for having the highest chapter of excellence application score.
Six BOCES 2 CTE students will represent WEMOCO at the national conference in June, along with WEMOCO SkillsUSA Lead Advisor Jennifer Probst and additional professional members. Bartz and Lewis will advance to the national level thanks to their first-place finishes in their respective competitions, while Aaron Caballero will compete in the place of the first-place winner. Waddle-Martin will partake in leadership activities in Atlanta, while Sarah and Reilly Weiss will represent the chapter for the Model of Excellence award.