Questar III BOCES First Place Winners, L-R: Maille Maloney, WIlliam Stallbohm, and Xiell Owens.
April 23 – 25, 2025, Questar III BOCES Career and Technical Education students from Donald R. Kline Technical School and Robert H. Gibson Technical School attended the SkillsUSA New York State competition in Syracuse, NY. Collectively, the students earned six medals at the competition, with three first-place finishers invited to attend the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, GA this June. Here, students can compete against students from across the country as they showcase their skills.
Congratulations to the following students who placed in the NYS competition:
Xiell Owens (right), pictured with Gaming and Multimedia teacher, Jamie Stevenson (right), shares his winning design.
Donald R. Kline Technical School
- William Stallbohm, Cairo-Durham Central School District | HVAC, 1st place
- Yazmine Diaz (Cosmetology), Catskill Central School District | Action Skills Basic, 3rd place
Robert H. Gibson Technical School
- Maille Maloney, Brunswick Central School District | Criminal Justice, 1st place
- Xiell Owens (Gaming and Multimedia), East Greenbush Central School District | Pin Design, 1st place
- Gloria Addo (Nursing Assistant), Troy City School District | Health Occupations Professional Portfolio, 2nd place
- Erika Tirino (Criminal Justice), East Greenbush Central School District | Job Skill Demonstration, 2nd place
As the pin design winner, Xiell Owens’ design was featured on the official New York State SkillsUSA 2025 pin and t-shirt, given to SkillsUSA participants across the state. This is the chapter’s second consecutive year earning this honor.
Joshua Trope (left) and Mia Robles (right) are both newly elected SkillsUSA New York State officers.
Additionally, two students from Robert H. Gibson Technical School will be heading to Nationals for leadership training as New York State Officers. Mia Robles (HVAC/Rensselaer City School District) was elected as the New York State Vice President at the Regional competition earlier this year, and Joshua Trope (Gaming and Multimedia/East Greenbush Central School District) will be elected to a to be determined position at Nationals.
Lastly, the Robert H. Gibson Technical School SkillsUSA Chapter earned a 2nd place Chapter of Distinction award in the Chapter of Excellence Program. This award recognizes achievement as it relates to the integration of the SkillsUSA Framework in chapter Program of Work activities. The SkillsUSA framework consists of three main categories: Technical Skills, Personal Skills, and Workplace Skills. This is the chapter’s second consecutive year in the Chapter of Excellence Program.
Questar III BOCES technical schools each host a Total Participation Plan SkillsUSA Chapter within their school. This means that all students can be part of SkillsUSA and participate in community service projects, fundraising events, and competitions. SkillsUSA is the number one workforce development organization for students.
