JEFFERSON —
The lives of six students associated with the Ashtabula County Technical and Career Campus were forever changed recently. During the week of Jan. 15 through Jan. 20, two seniors from the Graphic Communications program and their counterparts from several of A-Tech’s associated schools, traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in a series of regional officer training programs for SkillsUSA. SkillsUSA is a national organization where students can take part in a variety of different competitions to improve skills that make them better employees and citizens. The two students from the A-Tech main campus, Aleigha Warton and Lacey Tekavic, joined four other A-Tech students from A-Tech’s multimedia program at Grand Valley High School, Anthony Longhitano, Nathaniel Pilarczyk, Joshua Rigg and Cody Byler, and Brittany White, from the Trumbull County Technical and Career Center, on the trip. The seven students took part in competitions such as the Quiz Bowl, prepared speeches, and showed off their skills in an opening and closing statement contest.
A-Tech is proud that its students have an out-sized role in providing officers for the northeast region of SkillsUSA. Six of the seven officers for the region are A-Tech students. To put that into perspective, there are 4,422 SkillsUSA members attending 18 schools in the northeast Ohio region.
All of the students played an important part in the many events and ceremonies they attended during the week. For example, Aleigha Warton, historian for the A-Tech chapter, was one of the students on the trip that played a role in the development of the opening and closing ceremonies, which will be conducted during the regional competition later this year, as well as the awards ceremony after the competition. Her job in these ceremonies is to explain the colors of the SkillsUSA emblem which represents the entire Skills organization.
The emblem is made of four colors, each with its own meaning. Red and white symbolize the individual states and their chapters; blue represents the common union of individual states and their chapters; and the gold represents the most important part of SkillsUSA – the individuals which participate in the organization.
Lacey Tekavic, treasurer, also played an important role in the ceremonies when she recited a variety of lines about the goals of the SkillsUSA organization.
During their week in D.C., the team held many meetings and participated in challenges that were both fun and a learning experience. The whole team presented their opening ceremony vision to a panel of judges, receiving commendations for a job well done.
After this competition, the students won a bronze medal in the “Quiz Bowl,” where they were tested on their knowledge of the history of SkillsUSA. They then took part in an individual speech contest where they presented either a prepared speech, an extemporaneous speech, or something called the “62 Elevator” speech. An extemporaneous speech is when a student is given a random topic and a brief amount of time to develop a speech on it. The “62 Elevator” speech required the students to display their knowledge about the purpose of the SkillsUSA organization.
In their down time, the group visited many important historical sites, such as the Holocaust Museum and Arlington National Cemetery.
Warton described her experience as, “Amazing. I never thought that I would learn so much in one week. If you have a chance like this, take it. It’s not boring, like some people may think, it’s a learning experience. I never thought that I’d be this far in my life at the age I am now.”
Students cheer
up hospital patients
On Jan. 9 three senior students from the Early Childhood Education program traveled to the Ashtabula County Medical Center, to bring a smile to children in their time of adversity. Amarilys Maldonado, Niki Nunley and Karly Wisnyai and their instructor, Christina Sisk, have been making monthly visits to the children’s wing of the hospital to decorate each of the resident’s doors, as well as the entire hallway. The class, as a whole, has been involved in creating a variety of paintings for the hospital since early November.
These students have also been collecting items for the Samaritan House, a local homeless shelter.
Funds raised
in memoriam
On Jan. 8, A-Tech students, led by senior cosmetology student Ally Smith and the afternoon cosmetology class, conducted a fund-raiser for the family of Nathan Edgar Wilson, a 20-year old Lakeside High School student and graduate of the class of 2010, who died unexpectedly.
Students collected a total of $115 in donations from fellow A-Tech students and teachers, as well as other members of the community. This was added to the total collected from Harassment’s and Pizza Joe’s in Jefferson, which helped raise another $800 for the Wilson family. The support of the students and businesses showed that regardless of how well people knew Nathan Wilson, they were still willing to show how much they care and help out his family.
Nathan Wilson is described as someone who loved to fish and hunt, as well as spend time with his family and friends. Our hearts go out to his family, especially his twin brother Caleb, and his other brothers, Kenny and Troy.
School Columnists
Related Photos
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Karly Wisnyai and Alexandria Smith
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SKILLSUSA OFFICERS from Ashtabula County Technical and Career Campus show how happy they are to be attending the Regional Officer Training Program for SkillsUSA in Washington, D.C., in January. Students are: (standing from left) Aleigha Warton, historian, A-Tech; Anthony Longhitano, reporter, A-Tech; Nathaniel Pilarczyk, secretary, A-Tech; Joshua Rigg, parliamentarian, A-Tech; Brittany White, vice president, Trumbull County Technical Center; and (front) Cody Byler, president, A-Tech; and Lacey Tekavic, treasurer, A-Tech.
Discussion
Local students chosen as officers for SkillsUSA northeast region
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