Dozens of Career & Technical Education students from Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES showcased their talents at the 60th annual New York State SkillsUSA Leadership and Champions Conference, held April 22-24 at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse.
Representing all four Educational Centers, students joined top competitors from across the state in a variety of trade-based contests designed to highlight technical skill, professionalism, and leadership.
E2CCB students delivered an impressive performance, earning six medals overall, including three first-place finishes, two second-place finishes, and one third-place finish.
For more photos from this year’s competition, click here.
Among the medalists was Hewes Educational Center senior Kylee Franklin of Southwestern (Criminal Justice), who placed second in the Job Interview competition.
The Ormsby Educational Center students led the way with three gold medals. Senior Tristan Barron of East Aurora (Automotive Body Repair) won first place in Collision Damage Repair; senior Jane Hereth of Orchard Park (Cosmetology) earned first in Esthetics; and junior Oliver Dell of Springville-Griffith (Small/Large Animal Science) captured first in Animal Careers.
Additional honorees included East Aurora senior Kyle Siepierski (Automotive Body Repair), who placed second in Auto Refinishing, and Iroquois junior Stefano Passucci (Pre-Engineering & Drafting Design), who earned third in Technical Drafting.
SkillsUSA is a national workforce development organization that helps students become career-ready in their chosen trades while also developing leadership, professionalism, communication, and teamwork skills.
Winners at the state level qualify to compete at the 2026 SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference, set for June 1-5 in Atlanta.
During the conference, students also heard from E2CCB District Superintendent and CEO David O’Rourke, Ph.D., and Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction John Griesmer, Ed.D., who spoke about the importance of SkillsUSA and Career & Technical Education.
“They got to see our students here and spend a couple of hours with them,” said Jordin Smith, a consultant teacher and SkillsUSA advisor from the Hewes Educational Center. “It was so wonderful that they came out and truly cared about the great work we’re doing.”
