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Maryland Career & Technology Student Organization Sweeps Louisville at National Leadership and Skills Conference

More Than Half of Maryland Competitors Finish in National Top Ten

BALTIMORE – Maryland’s SkillsUSA delegation brought home 22 medals from the 53rdAnnual National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC), held in Louisville, KY, last week. In addition, former SkillsUSA Maryland State President, Laila Mirza, a rising senior at Worcester Technical High School, was elected to the SkillsUSA National Officer Team and her chapter’s advisor Rick Stephens, was honored as the SkillsUSA National Region One Advisor of the Year.

A team of the state’s most talented Career and Technology Education (CTE) high school students showcased their skills in 92 career and technical competitions. Demonstrating exemplary CTE training, Maryland students challenged 6,500 other student champions from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.

Maryland students competing in Early Childhood Education, Electronics Technology, Graphic Communications (PS), Humanoid Robotics, Interactive Application and Video Game Development and Team Engineering Challenge (MS) are officially among the best in the nation, returning with gold medals. Silver medals were awarded to students in Nail Care Design and students competing in Additive Manufacturing, Automotive Refinishing Technology, Basic Health Care Skills, Commercial Baking, Diesel Equipment Technology, Graphic Communications (HS), Internetworking, Medical Terminology and Television (Video) Production earned bronze medals.

SkillsUSA Maryland has a statewide membership of 5,000 high school students. Members have consistently demonstrated their expertise and professionalism while participating throughout the year in a variety of leadership and competitive conferences. The Maryland State Department of Education, in cooperation with business, industry, and education partners, coordinates two annual statewide conferences to prepare students for this rigorous national competition.

Maryland CTE students representing 23 counties and Baltimore City competed at the 2017 SkillsUSA State Championships held at Anne Arundel Community Television, Anne Arundel County Fire Training Academy, Center of Applied Technology North, CCBC Catonsville, Conference Center at the Maritime Institute of Technology, North County High School, Plumbers and Steamfitter Local 486,
Printing Specialist Corporation, Soller’s Point Technical High School and Stratford University.

The following students finished the national challenge with outstanding accomplishments:

SkillsUSA Maryland National Top Ten – 2017 NLSC

Gold Medal – Early Childhood Education

Maria Miller, North Point High School for Science, Technology and Industry – Charles County

Gold Medal – Electronics Technology
Joshua McKelvey, Parkside High School / CTE – Wicomico County

Gold Medal – Graphic Communications (PS)
Brittney Whitestone, Carroll County Career and Technology Center – Carroll County

Gold Medal – Humanoid Robotics
August Shrader, Layke Martin, Frederick County Career and Technology Center – Frederick County

Gold Medal – Interactive Application and Video Game Development
Alexis Woodard, Clara Terschuur, Applications and Research Laboratory – Howard County

Gold Medal – Team Engineering Challenge (MS)
Dylan Arnold, Judah Morningstar, Noah Selt, Worcester Technical High School – Worcester County

Silver Medal – Nail Care
Wendy Chavez-Ramos, Thomas Edison High School of Technology – Montgomery County

Bronze Medal – Additive Manufacturing
Andrew Daddone, Austin Lemere, Trevor Wheelock, Frederick County Career and Technology Center – Frederick County

Bronze Medal – Automotive Refinishing Technology
Taylor Hill, Center of Applied Technology North – Anne Arundel County

Bronze Medal – Basic Health Care Skills
Jesse Newton, Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center – St. Mary’s County

Bronze Medal – Commercial Baking
Kayla Clingan, Carroll County Career and Technology Center – Carroll County

Bronze Medal – Diesel Equipment Technology
Frankie Forman, Carroll County Career and Technology Center – Carroll County

Bronze Medal – Graphic Communications (HS)
Brittany Whitestone , Carroll County Career and Technology Center – Carroll County

Bronze Medal – Graphic Communications (PS)
Lexi Hengeveld, Carroll County Career and Technology Center – Carroll County

Bronze Medal – Internetworking
Michael Sachs, Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center – St. Mary’s County

Bronze Medal – Television (Video) Production
Levi Trumbull, Michael Manning, Frederick County Career and Technology Center – Frederick County

Bronze Medal – Medical Terminology
Carl Wachowski, North Point High School for Science, Technology and Industry – Charles County

4th Place – Aviation Maintenance Technology
Trenton Bell, Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center – St. Mary’s County

4th Place – Broadcast News Production
Cheyenne Scobie, Jade Lopez, Jayla Pollock, Nicholas Gregorio, Frederick County Career and Technology Center – Frederick County

4th Place – Cabinetmaking
Payton Dixon, Southern Garrett High School – Garrett County

4th Place – Graphic Imaging – Sublimation
Colby Barclay, Center for Career and Technical Education – Allegany County

4th Place – Health Knowledge Bowl
Amita McDonald, Cherrymae Alvarez, Katarina Buckley, Mya Rivenburg, Carroll County Career and Technology Center – Carroll County

4th Place – Nurse Assisting
Caitlin Forschen, Calvert Career and Technology Academy – Calvert County

4th Place – Prepared Speech
Laila Mirza, Worcester Technical High School – Worcester County

4th Place – Principles of Engineering and Technology
Kyle Campbell, Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center – St. Mary’s County

6th Place – Career Pathways – Health Services
Ivy Stearn, Makayla Zajdel, Samantha Stephen, Worcester Technical High School – Worcester County

6th Place – Career Pathways – Industrial and Engineering Technology
Alexander Repass, Anthony Romagnoli, Brookyn Poff, Frederick Career and Technology Center – Frederick County

6th Place – Crime Scene Investigation
Daniel Tyndall, Devin Mewborn, Julia Morris, Worcester Technical High School – Worcester County

6th Place – Engineering Technology-Design
John Podsednik, Kyra Pratley, William Voorhees, Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center – St. Mary’s County

6th Place – Major Appliance and Refrigeration Technology
Shawn Mitchell, Worcester Technical High School – Worcester County

6th Place – Plumbing
Joseph Schlick, Western School of Technology and Environmental Science – Baltimore County

6th Place – Promotional Bulletin Board
Callie DiGiacomantonio, Liv Christopher, Mary Clark, Carroll County Career and Technology Center – Carroll County

6th Place – Robotics: Urban Search and Rescue
August Shrader, Layke Martin, Frederick County Career and Technology Center – Frederick County

7th Place – Advertising Design
Michelle Young, North Point High School for STI – Charles County

7th Place – Audio-Radio Production
Danielle Brooks, Kameron Hailey-Matthews, Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center – St. Mary’s County

7th Place – Career Pathways – Arts and Communication
Joseph Kincaid, Joshua Klein, Robert Wilson, Frederick County Career and Technology Center – Frederick County

7th Place – Electrical Construction Wiring
Michael Dickens, Carroll County Career and Technology Center – Carroll County

7th Place – Entrepreneurship
Connor Huyck, Darion Haile, Hannah Miller, Kyle Bankey, Frederick Career and Technology Center – Frederick County

7th Place – Employment Application Process
Adam Snyder, Thomas Edison High School of Technology – Montgomery County

7th Place – Health Occupations Professional Portfolio
Jordan Janschek, Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center – St. Mary’s County

7th Place – Industrial Motor Control
Jakob Campbell, Cecil County School of Technology – Cecil County

7th Place – Medical Assisting
Sabrina Dugans, Center of Applied Technology South – Anne Arundel County

7th Place – Mobile Robotics Technology
Andrew Miller, Kaleb Schmucki, Worcester Technical High School – Worcester County

7th Place – Related Technical Math
Joseph Sheely, Eastern Technical Hish School – Baltimore County

7th Place – Sheet Metal
Zachery Smith, Center for Career and Technical Education – Allegany County

7th Place – Telecommunications Cabling
Bailey St. Clair, Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center – St. Mary’s County

8th Place – Building Maintenance
Trevor Moats, Worcester Technical High School – Worcester County

8th Place – Dental Assisting
Aspen Toler, Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center – St. Mary’s County

8th Place – Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
Spencer Koenig – Carroll County Career and Technology Center – Carroll County

8th Place – Job Skill Demonstration A
Nikkie Navarro, Center of Applied Technology North – Anne Arundel County

8th Place – T-Shirt Design
Lauren Brock, Carroll County Career and Technology Center – Carroll County

9th Place – Career Pathways – Business, Management and Technology
Derrick Hannah, Jacob Key, Karla Tellez, Washington County Technical High School – Washington County

9th Place – Career Pathways – Human Services
Brandon Hammett, Kaya Jackson, Robert Thompson III, Washington County Technical High School – Washington County

9th Place – First Aid / CPR
Briona Stauffer, Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center – St. Mary’s County

10th Place – CNC Turning Specialist
Jeff Green, Carroll County Career and Technology Center – Carroll County

10th Place – Cosmetology
Alexandra Jacobs – Carroll County Career and Technology Center – Carroll County

10th Place – Medical Math
Sierra Payne, Worcester Technical High School – Worcester County

For more information about Career Technology Education and SkillsUSA, please contact Charles Wallace, State Director, Maryland State Department of Education at 410-767-8872. You can also visit the Maryland State Department of Education’s website at http://www.mdcteprograms.org/ or visit the official SkillsUSA Maryland website at www.mdskillsusa.org.


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