Calvert County Public Schools (CCPS) students from the Career and Technology Academy (CTA) and Calvert High School recently competed in the 50th annual SkillsUSA Maryland Leadership and Skills Conference held in Anne Arundel County on March 24-25, 2023. Over 1,200 Maryland Career and Technical Education (CTE) students from all 23 counties and Baltimore City participated in over 90 occupational and leadership skill events.
The competition was fierce, but 30 Calvert County students managed to bring home top honors in multiple contests this year. They earned gold in twelve contests, silver in six contests, and bronze in three contests. The students who earned gold are now qualified to represent Maryland at the National Skills and Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, from June 19-23, 2023.
“The excellence of our students and through them, our incredible teachers, was well-displayed throughout this weekend’s events,” said CTA Principal, Carrie Akins. “Our students demonstrated technical prowess, patience, perseverance, and the highest levels of professionalism throughout these challenging competitions. I am so proud of our students who dedicated hours of practice and hard work to prepare for this year’s competition.”
In addition to winning awards, CCPS students will also represent SkillsUSA at both the State and National level with participating state officers and national voting delegates. Callie Nicholson was elected to serve on the SkillsUSA Maryland State Officer Team for the 2023-24 School Year. This marks the fourth consecutive year that at least one CTA student will serve in this capacity. Nathan Coston and Matthew Thompson were selected as SkillsUSA National Voting Delegates for the upcoming National Skills Leadership Conference. Both state officers and national voting delegates are elected to serve in these positions by students from across the state during a delegate assembly held on the first day of the annual conference.
The success of the Calvert County students was not limited to just the participants. Mrs. Robin Wells, lead SkillsUSA advisor at the Career & Technology Academy, was honored as SkillsUSA Region 4 Advisor of the Year during a special presentation within the awards ceremony held Saturday night.
The CTA SkillsUSA Chapter itself also received recognition at the statewide event, receiving recognition at the silver level for being a Chapter of Excellence Program (CEP). The recognition signifies the chapter’s commitment to carrying out the work of education through the SkillsUSA Framework, which emphasizes personal, workplace, and technical skills.
The SkillsUSA Maryland State Conference is a highly-anticipated annual event that brings together students, teachers, and industry leaders to showcase the best in CTE education. For the 50th year, Maryland students came together to compete, demonstrate their skills, and learn from each other.
The Maryland State Conference is just one of many SkillsUSA events held throughout the year. SkillsUSA is a national membership association serving high school, college, and middle school students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations. SkillsUSA programs include local, state, and national competitions in which students demonstrate occupational and leadership skills. SkillsUSA’s mission is to empower its members to become world-class workers, leaders, and responsible American citizens.
The success of the Calvert County students at the 50th annual SkillsUSA Maryland Leadership and Skills Conference is a testament to the dedication of the students, teachers, and staff at CCPS. Congratulations to all of the students who participated, and good luck to those who will represent Maryland at the National Skills and Leadership Conference in Atlanta this June.
Congratulations to the following students earned top three honors at the State Competition:
AUTOMOTIVE MAINTENANCE & LIGHT REPAIR
GOLD – Thomas Marshall
COMMUNITY SERVICE (team of 3)
GOLD – Jessica Cecil, Nathan Hawley and Jaydin Johnson
COSMETOLOGY
BRONZE – Savannah Stewart
HVAC
GOLD – William Walton
ESTHETICS
GOLD – Adly Paau Pesquera
EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING
GOLD – Benjamin Smith
EMT (team of 2)
SILVER – Caroline Robinson and Travis Winston
FIREFIGHTING
GOLD – Nicholas Boswell
GRAPHIC SUBLIMATION
GOLD – AJ Halsey
HEALTH KNOWLEDGE BOWL (team of 4)
BRONZE – Moier Graham, Katherine Greene, Jaiden Jacobs and Sarah Kelley
MEDICAL ASSISTING
GOLD – Sember Lester SILVER – Faith Murphy
NURSE ASSISTING
GOLD – Averi Lewis SILVER – Matthew Bowie
PHOTOGRAPHY
SILVER – Nathan Coston
POWER EQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGY
GOLD – Maxwell Brexler SILVER – Koedy Reitz BRONZE – Matthew Piriz
SCREEN PRINTING TECHNOLOGY
GOLD – Kei Chapman
STATE T-SHIRT DESIGN
SILVER – Caroline Hyder
TEAMWORKS (team of 4)
GOLD – Mason Kidwell, Logan Kinner, Gabriella Mejia Moran, Tyler Smith