CGEC SkillsUSA Advisors Kristi Dannehy and Karen Quinn hosted their first orientation meeting today for any students interested in joining our chapter of SkillsUSA. Skills USA is “a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA helps each student excel”.
John Gambino and Neil Malone, seniors in the Criminal Justice Program who were SkillsUSA officers last year, were joined by seniors Jared Kwarta and Daniel Naegeli in the first meeting of this year to explain the activities of the organization and to encourage students to become members.
According to John, “I encourage students to join SkillsUSA because it brings out and helps improve career skills like leadership and teamwork”. Adds Neil, “I’d recommend joining SkillsUSA because it’s like a family – we are always there for each other. We have a chance to make friends here in our school and at the competitions, and I’ve stayed friends with other SkillsUSA members I met through social media”.
During the school year, SkillsUSA members will have opportunities to participate in community service projects, as well as regional and state competitions related to their career fields. The regional competition will be held in March 2019 at Schenectady County Community College and the state competition is a three-day trip to Syracuse in April 2019.
According to Mrs. Quinn, “SkillsUSA provides so many benefits to our students, whether it is the challenge of training for competitions, the chance to work with students in other classes besides their own, and also providing opportunities for improving leadership skills.” Mrs. Dannehy adds, “It is so gratifying to watch students confidence and professionalism blossom, whether as a SkillsUSA officer leading a meeting or the sense of pride in winning or placing in a competition with other students in their respective career fields”.
CGEC students interested in joining should see Mrs. Quinn or Mrs. Dannehy to sign up by October 12, 2018.
