Students at Eastern Suffolk BOCES H.B. Ward Technical Center took home four first place, five second place and three third place awards at the Regional SkillsUSA Competition last week at Suffolk County Community College’s Brentwood campus.
North Fork students cleaned up well in the competition, with winners and placers in automotive service technology, early childhood education, job skill demonstration, food preparation and audio presentation. The Health Knowledge Bowl team took home first place, and the Quiz Bowl Team came in second. Students from H.B. Ward competed in around 40 out of 100 contests.
SkillsUSA is a national organization that serves more than 300,000 students with training and competitive activities. In the annual competition, students race against the clock to complete a practical challenge, competing against other students with similar skill sets. Students who placed in the competition will advance to the SkillsUSA New York State Conference in Syracuse, April 27-29. From there, students move on to the national conference, held in June in Kentucky.
Here’s a list of the winners from the H.B. Ward Technical Center (photos below):
First Place winners
- Adult Cosmetology: Valbona Gashi-Bytqi (teacher Dorothea Lobiondo)
- Automotive Service Technology: Dean Argenti (Riverhead CSD – teacher Michael O’Hara)
- Early Childhood Education: Wendi Enriquez Garcia (Riverhead CSD – teacher Gini Wagner Teacher)
- Nurse Assisting: Jacqueline Tambito (Westhampton Beach UFSD – teacher Eileen Reiter)
Health Knowledge Bowl Team (first place)
- Samantha Paredes (Riverhead CSD – teacher Michelle Burton, Clinical Medical Assisting Program)
- Kyla Church (Hampton Bays UFSD – teacher Michelle Burton, Clinical Medical Assisting Program)
- Jasmine Yac (Westhampton Beach UFSD teacher Eileen Reiter, Nurse Assisting Program)
- Matthew Peters (Eastport-South Manor CSD teacher Eileen Reiter, Nurse Assisting Program)
Second Place Winners
- Cosmetology (basic): Casie Micheli (Shoreham-Wading River CSD – teacher Carolyn McKillop)
- Adult Cosmetology: Michelle Estrada (teacher Dorothea Lobiondo)
- Food Prep Assistance: Caitlin Rivera (Mattituck-Cutchogue UFSD – teacher Joyce Graf)
- Job Skill demonstration: Cecilia Stevens (Mattituck-Cutchogue UFSD)
- Restaurant Service: Katerina Perricone (Shoreham Wading-River CSD – teacher Eric Rickmers)
Quiz Bowl Team (second place)
- Anthony Navas (Center Moriches UFSD)
- Mikayla Weybrecht (Center Moriches UFSD)
- Rocco Genovese (Mattituck-Cutchogue UFSD)
- Ashley Ambrocio (Riverhead CSD)
- Maxly Deslouches (Longwood CSD)
Third Place Winners
- Audio Presentation: Keaton Comiskey (Southold UFSD – teacher Bill Sperl)
- Audio Presentation: Jesse Morrill – Miller Place UFSD, – teacher Bill Sperl)
- Automotive Service basic: Mitchell Lester (East Hampton UFSD – teacher Mike O’Hara)
