Sussex Tech students bring home national SkillsUSA medals
Sussex Technical High School congratulates several of its students who either brought home medals or made outstanding showings at the National SkillsUSA Championships in Kansas City, Mo., June 20-25.
Thirty-four Sussex Tech students qualified at the state competition to represent Delaware while competing in leadership and skills contests on the national level. Students also attended orientation and networked with other students, advisors, sponsors, and judges from every state in the United States as well as Guam and Puerto Rico.
For the fifth time, Sussex Tech’s Broadcast News team brought home a national medal, placing third in this year’s competition. Bronze team members were senior Sarah Samaha of Milford and juniors Katie Beitzel of Lewes, Stephen Mervine of Bridgeville and Rebecca Southmayd of Ocean View. The team was coached by media broadcasting teacher Gary Conaway.
Junior Tara Windels of Laurel also won a bronze medal in the Technical Computer Applications national contest. A double technical area major student (electronics and criminal justice), she will go for the gold in the 2012 competition. Tara is being coached by criminal justice teacher Sue Brady and electronics teachers Anthony Carmen and Dennis Smith.
Other Sussex Tech students had outstanding top-22 performances in the national competitions that featured hundreds of entrants. Joe Powers, Georgetown, won fourth in Principles of Technology.
Bringing home fifth-place finishes were Emily Tull, Delmar, in Basic Health Care Skills; plus the team of Richard Gallo, Rehoboth; Brooke Givens, Seaford; Ann Hammond, Milford; Kira Lyle, Millsboro; Lindsi Ware, Bridgeville; and Emily Dell, Millsboro, for Chapter Business Procedures. Zach Bedell, Frankford, finished sixth in Marine Service Technology.
Seventh place went to the Opening and Closing Ceremonies team consisting of Kaitlyn Adkins, Harbeson; Te’Myra Brown, Millsboro; Charinel Matos, Seaford; Kristina Metz, Millsboro; Courtney Taylor, Greenwood; Melanie Moore, Georgetown; Amit Vyas, Lewes, and alternate Ameena Jumarally, Millsboro. Also bringing home seventh place was the team of Ben Dispoto, Lewes, and Taylor Thornberg, Lewes, for Television Video Production.
Aidan Gause, Harbeson, came in ninth for Job Skill Demonstration Open category.
Myles Gray, Seaford, and Kaishee Hopkins, Millsboro, won 13th in the Robotics and Automation Technology competition.
Lance Cain, Milton, came in 15th for First Aid and CPR competition.
The team of Scott Bell, Seaford, Ashleigh Sturgis, Greenwood, and Leah Toomey, Rehoboth, came in 18th for their Outdoor Classroom Concept.
Finally, the team of Brittany Chesser, Laurel, Kenneth Scott Poole, Delmar, and Justin Stevenson, Laurel, won 22nd place in Crime Scene Investigation competition.
Accompanying the students to Missouri were teacher advisors Valarie Day, Joe Powers Sr., Sue Brady, Gary Conaway, and Blanche Nickel, headed up by student activities coordinator Pattiva Cathell.
SkillsUSA is the national organization for students in trade, industrial, technical and health occupations education. It sponsors the SkillsUSA Championships annually to recognize the achievements of career and technical education students and to encourage them to strive for excellence and pride in their chosen occupations.
