Nine FCPS Career & Technology Center (CTC) students recently placed in the top ten at the 60th Annual SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta. Considered the largest skill competition in the world, SkillsUSA features more than 6,500 competitors in 115 hands-on skill and leadership contests. Each contestant is a state gold medalist. In this year’s competition, 26 FCPS Career & Technology Center students took part. Finishing in the top 10:
Michael Umana from the CAD engineering program: Silver medal and second nationwide in Technical Drafting.
Benjamin Kimbark from the Collision Repair Program: Bronze medal and third nationwide in the Collision Repair Technology Competition.
Isabella Rogers from the AOHP Nurse Assisting program: Bronze medal and placed third nationwide in the Nurse Assisting competition.
Dianna Solis from the AOHP Nurse Assisting and Medical Assisting programs: Fourth nationwide in the Basic Health Care Skills Competition.
Andrew Winkler from the HVAC-Plumbing program: Fifth nationwide in the Sheet Metal competition.
Amanda Rivera Colon from the AOHP Nurse Assisting and Medical Assisting program: Eighth nationwide in the Health Occupations Professional Portfolio competition.
Joshua Onspaugh, from the Electricity Program, Ariel Tembi from the AOHP Nurse Assisting Program, and Tyler Wilson from the Electricity Program: Ninth nationwide in the Chapter Display competition.
Also recognized for outstanding achievement and representing the state of Maryland were the team of Kaden Aiello and Varshith Jatla for Robotics: Urban Search and Rescue, the team of Mishani De Silva, Suvanjal Dhungana, Mathew Garviria Silva, and Alejandro Mendoza Janampa for Entrepreneurship, Shirsho Banerjee for Related Technical Math, Dean Ryder for Plumbing, Declan Brennan for HVAC, Shannon Clarkson for First-Aid/CPR, and the team of Carly Cairns, Arwen Flint, Aiden Petrie, and Zoe Razunguzwa for Health Knowledge Bowl.
The FCPS CTC provides intensive career-specific training to both college-bound and employment-oriented students. In addition to career training, emphasis is also placed on the development of broad, transferrable professional skills that are essential for successful employment.
Students in Grades 10-12 from any Frederick County public high school may apply to attend. Each year, approximately 700 students elect to get a head start on their careers and college experience by enrolling in programs that are taught in half-day blocks. Students attend their home high schools for the remainder of the day.
For more information about the FCPS Career & Tech Center, please contact Principal, Michael.Concepcion@fcps.org; Assistant Principal, Jack.Newkirk@fcps.org; or Chapter Advisor, Lera.Straits@fcps.org at 227-203-3650. For more about the competition, please visit www.skillsusa.org.
FCPS Career & Technology Center participants.