Neighbor News
Hunterdon County Polytech Students Win Big at SkillsUSA
Five Hunterdon County Polytech Students Qualify for Nationals, Many More Earn Medals at SkillsUSA Championship
The medal count for Hunterdon County Polytech totaled 16 following the final day of competition in the NJ State SkillsUSA Championship on April 14. At the main awards ceremony held that evening, five of the Polytech winners secured a spot in the next round of competition by capturing gold medals.
The five students who qualified for nationals in Louisville, Ky., June 25-29 include Drew Bentley in Automotive Service Technology; Matthew Bradner in Collision Repair Technology; Danielle Coluccio with model Haley Millern in Advanced Cosmetology (Post-Secondary); Hailey Gettel in T-Shirt Design; and Katelyn Rudko in Advanced Cosmetology (Post-Secondary).
SkillsUSA Championships feature competitions that showcase the skills of career and technical education students. The philosophy behind the competition is to reward students for excellence, to involve industry in directly evaluating student performance and to keep training relevant to employers’ needs. The competitions start locally and then move to the state and national levels.
“Once again, our students shined in the SkillsUSA competitions, and this is a testament not only to our comprehensive and relevant curriculum and our dedicated instructors, but also to the character of our student body,” said Dr. Kimberly Metz, superintendent of the Hunterdon County Vocational School District. “Our students are bright, hard working and committed to their education. They are honing skill sets that will undoubtedly lead to their successful futures.”
Congratulations to all SkillsUSA winners from Hunterdon County Polytech:
Automotive Service Technology- National Competition
Gold - Drew Bentley
Silver - Matthew Marko
Automotive Refinishing Technology- National Competition
Silver - John Spies
Design and Build Plywood Challenge- State Competition
Gold - Jordan Sontag and Jacob Snyder
Silver - Dylan Ali and Sam Lee
Job Skills Demo A- National Competition
Bronze - Julianna Henrichsen with model Juliet Ruffo
Medical Math- National Competition
Silver - Devon Novak
3-D Visualization & Animation- National Competition
Silver - Michele Motta & Jacob Lazarek
Collision Repair Technology- National Competition
Gold - Matthew Brandner
Bronze - Jayden Melicharek
Advanced Cosmetology (Post-Secondary)- National Competition
Gold - Katelyn Rudko
Esthetics (Post-Secondary)- National Competition
Gold - Danielle Coluccio with model Haley Millern
Nail Care- National Competition
Bronze - Lexie Smith
Restaurant Service- National Competition
Silver - Timothy Roberts
State Banner- State Competition
Silver - Matthew Donahue & EvvyAnna Catanzareti
T-Shirt Design- National Competition
Gold - Hailey Gettel
Photo Caption: Pictured from left to right, Polytech instructor Cynthia Dailey congratulates her graphic design student Hailey Gettel on winning a gold medal in the T-Shirt Design category at SkillsUSA.
Hunterdon County Polytech Career and Technical School is the largest component of Hunterdon County Vocational School District (HCVSD). Polytech is the district’s shared-time high school that prepares students for a seamless transition to college and career paths. HCVSD also operates an Adult and Continuing Education school and three science-based high school academies. In addition to the Biomedical Sciences Academy, the other academies include the Computer Science and Applied Engineering Academy and the Environmental Sustainability and Engineering Academy. Learn more at www.hcvsd.org.
