Local Students Place at Area Skills USA Regional Competition

Alfred, NY – March 8, 2022 – Several local students were recently honored as top competitors in their fields in the area Skills USA regional competition held at Alfred State College.

The Skills USA events are competitive events showcasing the best career and technical education students in the nation. Contests begin locally and continue through the state and national levels. Key areas of competition include communication, construction, heavy equipment operation, welding, animal sciences, health sciences, hospitality and tourism, human services, information technology, leadership, manufacturing, and STEM.

Many CA BOCES Career and Technical Education (CTE) students from centers in Belmont, Ellicottville, and Olean competed in the annual competition with several of the students placing.

CTE Center at Belmont

2nd place – Animal Careers – Paige Cochran

3rd place – T-shirt design for Area 1 – Anastasia Sortore

Skills Advisors: Cassandra Ploetz, Willie Beardsley

Chaperone: Bernie Riley

CTE Center at Ellicottville

2nd place – Prepared Speech – CJ (Courtney) Parmenter

3rd place – Prepared Speech – Taylor Fuller

2nd place – Esthetics – Shayla Murphy

2nd place – Esthetics model – Rilyn Briggs

3rd place – Cosmetology – Olivia Payne

Skills Advisors:  Ed Arnold, Jordan Abdo

Chaperones: Joe Colligan, Tracy Guntrum

CTE Center at Olean

1st place – TV Video Production – Ethan Burdick/Jim Chastain

2nd place – CNC Milling – Parker Keenan

2nd place – Collision Repair – Maddison Collins

2nd place – Extemporaneous Speech – Scarlet Sorvillo

3rd place – Restaurant Services – Ben Wolfe

Skills Advisors: Brianna Eaton, Todd McLaughlin

Chaperones: Amber Christensen, Cory Nedell

CA BOCES Assistant Superintendent for Career and Technical Education Programs, James Schifley, was pleased with the level of participation and the overall performance of student competitors. “We had many students from our three centers compete in their respective areas, and I was impressed with the level of skill they demonstrated,” he said. “We train our students to be “career-ready” in their fields, and instances like this allow them to put their skills to the test.”

As the regional leader in education services, CA BOCES offers state-of-the-art programs for learners of all ages and abilities as well as cost-effective shared services for 22 component school districts. CA BOCES empowers students to achieve their maximum potential by offering a wide variety of innovative programs and support that include special education, career and technical education, adult and continuing education, technology support, and instructional support services.