Charles County Public Schools students excelled at the 53rd annual Maryland SkillsUSA State Championship held April 17 and 18 in Westminster.
Twenty students from the Robert D. Stethem Educational Center and 24 students from North Point High School competed in career and technical education events. The students earned two gold medals, five silver medals and four bronze medals.
Gold medalists advance to the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta next month.
Gold medalists • Asalah Keita, senior, advertising design, North Point High School • Gabriella Varela, junior, customer service, North Point High School
Silver medalists • Marcus Burnette, senior, advertising design, North Point High School • Makenzie Eribo, senior, T-shirt design, North Point High School • Deashia Freeman, senior, health occupations professional portfolio, Robert D. Stethem Educational Center • Charles McKenzie Jr., junior, electrical construction wiring, North Point High School • Lizbeth Rico-Morales, junior, career and technical educator, North Point High School • Craig Ruehl, junior, medical terminology, Robert D. Stethem Educational Center
Bronze medalists • Leina Chen, junior, medical math, North Point High School • Chasity Okyere-Boateng, senior, T-shirt design, North Point High School • Matthew Smith, senior, photography, Robert D. Stethem Educational Center • Ava Tuttle, senior, pin design, North Point High School
SkillsUSA competitions test real-world job skills in areas such as advertising design, health occupations, electrical construction and more. The program aligns with Maryland’s emphasis on career and technical education, which prepares students for high-demand fields in engineering, healthcare, advanced manufacturing and digital design.
Charles County, home to Naval Air Station Patuxent River and a growing aerospace and technology sector, benefits directly from strong CTE programs. Students who excel in SkillsUSA often move into apprenticeships, technical careers or further education that supports the regional economy.
The Robert D. Stethem Educational Center focuses on hands-on career training, while North Point High School offers comprehensive CTE pathways. Both schools emphasize project-based learning and industry partnerships.
The Maryland SkillsUSA State Championship is part of a larger network that includes more than 700 Green Schools and countless CTE programs across the state. Winners represent the best of Maryland’s future workforce.
For more information on Charles County Public Schools CTE programs, visit the district website.
