Rockland BOCES Students Earn Gold Medals at SkillsUSA Competition

Twelve Rockland BOCES students earned top honors during the recent SkillsUSA New York State Leadership Conference and Skills Championships in Central New York. The students earned the medals while competing against more than 3,000 peers in a variety of trades ranging from automotive repair and cosmetology to plumbing and welding. Seventy-three Rockland BOCES Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) students from more than 10 local school districts took part in the annual event, which concluded on April 24 at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse.

Rockland BOCES medalists, their competition, BOCES programs and home school districts are as follows:

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Gold

• Mary Ludwig - Cosmetology (North Rockland Central School District)
• Ash Kelley - Community Action (Nyack Public Schools)
• Gabe Mello - Automotive Maintenance and Repair (Clarkstown Central School District)
• Kristine Rivera - Emergency Medical Technician (Nyack Public Schools)
• Grace Wanamaker - Community Action (Suffern Central School District)
• Keiry Vasquez - Emergency Medical Technician (East Ramapo Central School District)

Bronze

• Abelino Acosta - Criminal Justice Quiz Bowl (South Orangetown Central School District)
• Brook Cusumano - Criminal Justice Quiz Bowl (Clarkstown Central School District)
• Dylan O’Flynn - Electrical Construction (South Orangetown Central School District)
• Amber Tan - Criminal Justice Quiz Bowl (Clarkstown Central School District)
• Luisa Tavares - First Aid and CPR (Clarkstown Central School District)
• Rocco Varni - Plumbing (Northern Valley, Old Tappan, NJ)

The gold medalists advance to the national SkillsUSA competition in Atlanta, Georgia in June.

"I am incredibly proud of our students who excelled at the state competition," said Rockland BOCES District Superintendent Chris D'Ambrese. "Their dedication and excellence in their respective trades and skills are truly commendable. Our students’ success is a testament to their hard work and the high-quality education offered at Rockland BOCES. Congratulations to all the participants and winners."

Held in Syracuse each spring, the annual competition offers Rockland BOCES students an opportunity to compete against other schools from across the state in timed technical, trade and leadership contests. All of the CTEC students impressed in at the conference, displaying career-readiness skills such as teamwork, communication, professionalism and leadership.

The mission of SkillsUSA is to empower students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders, and responsible community members.