Students Excel at SkillsUSA

Northern Maine Community College students went a perfect nine for nine in the medal count at the recent SkillsUSA Maine Championships held March 1 and 2 in Bangor. More than 900 college and high school trade and technical students from across Maine competed in more than seventy categories at United Technologies Center and Eastern Maine Community College.

Rick Taggett, NMCC welding instructor, was the chair of the State welding contest again this year.

“The competition opens students’ eyes to potential careers and helps them prepare for life beyond school,” said Taggett. “Our students did themselves proud.”

He added that all of the NMCC students who competed medaled in their respective events.

SkillsUSA organizes competitive events highlighting the best career and technical education students in the country and rewards students for excellence. The competitions begin on the state level and provide students unique opportunities to excel in their trade.

Many of the competitions include mock interviews and requirements of professionalism, but the focus of the day is on technical expertise and attention to detail.

Earning first place gold medals were: Alex Perreault (Van Buren) for Welding; Jake Chouinard (Fort Kent) for Electrical Construction; and Sean Herrman (Oxford) for Computerized Collision Appraisal. Silver medal winners included: Eliot Caron (Fort Kent) for Welding; Drew Sotomayor (Easton) for Electrical Construction; Cameron Allen (Warren) for Automotive Refinishing; and Lakeisha St. John (Limestone) for Collision Repair. Earning bronze medals were Ryan Savery (Blaine) for Welding and Tyler Ayotte (Presque Isle) for Carpentry.

The NMCC SkillsUSA chapter meets throughout the academic year to prepare for the competition. Gold medal winners can compete at the national competition in Louisville, Kentucky in June.