On to nationals! OCM BOCES students achieve top finishes at NYS SkillsUSA Competition

On to nationals! Seven students from OCM BOCES are state champions at SkillsUSA 

May 1, 2023

Seven students in Career & Technical Education and New Vision programs at OCM BOCES were declared state champions on April 28 at the New York State SkillsUSA competition at the New York State Fairgrounds.

Their first-place finishes mean they get to compete at the national SkillsUSA championships in June in Atlanta.

Six other OCM BOCES students also had impressive showings at the NYS SkillsUSA championships, placing second in their respective categories.

The students' top-level performances seemed to thrill everyone: students, teachers, advisors, administrators, family members and Board of Education members. A large group of OCM BOCES staff, as well as administrators from component districts, walked around the Fairgrounds during the competition, encouraging the students as they competed in a wide range of categories. Competitors showcased their skills and knowledge as they baked cakes, prepared meals, answered complicated health and math questions, applied slings, demonstrated their auto technology and collision skills, welded carts, created art, showed off their cosmetology skills, and more — all before the critical eyes of SkillsUSA judges.

"It was an amazing and exciting experience for everyone," said school counselor Rebecca Robertson, who co-advises SkillsUSA at the Cortlandville Campus with Julie Allen. "We took our largest group from McEvoy to states this year, 25 students total. They all worked so hard to prepare and represent their trade. They went above and beyond what is asked of our CTE students, and they excelled. As an advisor, it is exciting to watch their confidence grow both in themselves as individuals and in skills related to their trade."

She and other advisors credited the OCM BOCES teachers for helping the students master their skills.

"Without their teachers helping them pack, review scopes, and prepare, they would not have been able to compete this level," Robertson said.

She and Allen also noted that Early Childhood Education teacher Heather Tuttle has now instructed three students who became first-place winners at the state SkillsUSA competition during her time at OCM BOCES, an impressive feat.

Danielle Curtis, who co-advisors SkillsUSA at the Thompson Road Campus with Heather Hardke, echoed those comments, noting the exceptional pressure of state competition.

"We are so so proud of these kids," Curtis said. "It takes a lot of guts to get up there, in front of all of those judges, and compete against students from all over New York State. It is a true testament to the amount of time and work the students and the teachers have put in to get them to where they are."

"This is what OCM BOCES is all about," she added, "and I could not be more proud to be a part of it."

For the Cortlandville crew, another achievement made them proud. The chapter applied for and received recognition as a quality SkillsUSA chapter.

In the end, first-place finishes went to:

• Mackenzie Buhr (Homer), Emma Dekenberger (DeRuyter), Ryleigh Larkin (Cortland), and Cecelia Rappleyea (Homer) from the New Vision Physical Therapy & Rehabilitative Professions program embedded at Guthrie Cortland Medical Center. They competed in the Health Knowledge Bowl.

• Jake Guay (Homer), a welding student from the Cortlandville Campus. He competed in the Related Technical Math category.

• Elizabeth Hurd (Cortland), an Early Childhood Education student from the Cortlandville Campus. She competed in the Early Childhood Education category.

• Brian Yager (Baldwinsville), an Automotive Technology student in the OCM BOCES embedded program at Driver's Village in Cicero. He competed in the Automotive Service Technology category.

These students, plus all the other top finishers, are listed in the chart below. You can also scroll down for more photos.

In total, a record 30 students qualified for the state competition by placing in the top three at a regional competition in February.

 

OCM BOCES 
Award Recipients
New York State Skills USA
April 28, 2023
New York State Fairgrounds

Student Name	District	BOCES Program	Competition	Award
Mackenzie Buhr Emma Dekenberger Ryleigh Larkin Cecelia Rappleyea	Homer DeRuyter Cortland Homer	Physical Therapy 1 New Vision Medical New Vision Medical New Vision Medical   Cortlandville Campus	Team Competition: Health Knowledge Bowl	1st Place
Jake Guay	Homer	Welding 1 Cortlandville Campus	Related Technical Math	1st Place
Elizabeth Hurd	Cortland	Early Childhood Education 2 Cortlandville Campus	Early Childhood	1st Place
Brian Yager	Baldwinsville	Automotive Technology 2 Thompson Road Campus/ Driver’s Village	Automotive Service Technology	1st Place
Karar Abed Joseph Lin Hannah Hussein Juliana Barber	East Syracuse Minoa Chittenango North Syracuse Liverpool	New Vision Medical New Vision Medical New Vision Medical New Vision Medical   Thompson Road Campus	Team Competition: Health Knowledge Bowl	2nd Place
Jacob Shevchuk	Homer	Automotive Technology 2 Cortlandville Campus	Automotive Refinishing Technology	2nd Place
Cella Wood	North Syracuse	New Vision Medical  Thompson Road	Medical Terminology	2nd Place