BOCES Career and Tech Students Earn Regional Honors

ALBANY – Forty-five Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical Education students showed their in-depth knowledge of the skilled trades and earned medals at the regional SkillsUSA competition on Wednesday, March 18, in Albany. 

The 13 first place winners and other medal winners earned their way to the state SkillsUSA competition in Syracuse next month.

The student competitors, who hail from school districts as far-reaching as Watervliet and Cobleskill-Richmondville, showed expertise in areas as diverse as electrical wiring, public speaking, automotive repair, job interviewing and cooking. They competed against their peers from Questar III and several other BOCES during a day filled with events at the Career & Technical Education Center – Albany Campus, as well as at Schenectady County Community College (SCCC) and the International Union of Operating Engineers training facility in Albany.

A total of 450 students,, the most ever for the regional competition, took part in the events on Wednesday, said Debra Toy, a regional SkillsUSA representative who works at Capital Region BOCES. More than 90 of those competitors were from Capital Region BOCES.

The state SkillsUSA competition will be conducted April 22-24 at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse. Winners of that event will advance to the national competition in June.

“Congratulations to our scholars. They all did a fantastic job and we are very proud of them,”  Toy said. 

Representatives of dozens of businesses and government entities, from heating and cooling companies to labor unions to a volunteer fire company were on hand to assist in the event – helping to organize and judge the competitors. 

“By being here today, we are helping students get ready for the workplace. We get to know them, and it really gets them ready to get out into the field,” said Julia Gadwah, a human resources recruitment and retention specialist with Crisafulli Brothers.

Students said they are excited by their medals, and many are looking forward to the state competition.

“This means a lot to me. I came here to do my best, and I did. It shows. Hopefully, I can do it again at states,” said Wyatt Strobeck, a Middleburgh student who placed first in the welding competition.

Digital Media Design senior Jacob Sawyer is a repeat winner of the Photography contest.

“It feels good to win again. I can’t wait to go to states,” the Schalmont student said.

Schenectady student Alijah Littman was left speechless after winning the Extemporaneous Speaking contest.

“It feels different. I didn’t expect to win. I can’t wait to go to the states,” the Digital Media Design student said.

This year’s regional SkillsUSA medalists and prize winners, the competition they placed in, their BOCES program and home school district are as follows:

Some local students honored include:

First Place

Wyatt Strobeck, Welding, Welding and Metal Fabrication, Middleburgh

Olivia VanEvera, Job Interview, Welding and Metal Fabrication, Cobleskill-Richmondville (CRCS)

Hunter Goss, Related Technical Math, Manufacturing and Machining Technology, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk (RCS)

Josivi Decarlo, Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice, Duanesburg

Second Place

Caleb Bregenzer, Welding, Welding and Metal Fabrication, Shenendehowa

Kilie Palmatier, Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Education, CRCS Drew Palluti, Culinary Arts, Culinary Arts and Hospitality Technology, Duanesburg

Marley Wayman, Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice, CRCS

Lilianna Hotaling, Cosmetology Junior, Cosmetology, Berne-Knox-Westerlo (BKW)

Third Place

Trista Smi, Welding, Welding and Metal Fabrication, BKW

The team of Rosemary Harrington, Schalmont; Brianna Bailey, Duanesburg; and Payton Schuyler, CRCS, Promotional Bulletin Board

The team of McKenzie Tansey, CRCS; Riley VanDenburgh, Schalmont; and Isaiah Ferguson, Schoharie; Crime Scene Investigation, Criminal Justice

Joanna McCann, Cosmetology Junior, Cosmetology, CRCS 

Brody Gallagher, Diesel Equipment Technology, Diesel Technology, CRCS 

SkillsUSA is a career and technical student organization serving more than 395,000 high school students. The organization promotes personal and professional growth and offers students the opportunity to compete at the local, regional, state and national levels.