Forrest Students Compete at State SkillsUSA Competition

Students from the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center recently participated in the 51st annual SkillsUSA Maryland State Championships in the Carroll County area. The contests that Forrest Center students competed in were as varied as the program offerings at the center in Leonardtown.

At the awards ceremony, 40 Forrest students medaled. In addition to the medalists, two students were elected to statewide office and two students were selected as National Voting Delegates.

Results are as follows:

Telecommunications Cabling

• Gold – Connor Ferrall (Electrical Wiring)
• Silver – John Praktish (Electrical Wiring)
• Bronze – Jahdane Thaxter (Electrical Wiring)

Customer Service

• Gold – Kayden Thompson (Hospitality & Tourism)

Principles of Engineering Technology

• Silver – Kimberly Valdivia (Engineering)

3-D Visualization and Animation

• Gold – Sylvia Suckow (CADD), Abigal Cronkright (Graphic Communications)

Early Childhoood Education

• Gold – Colbie Miller (Teacher Academy)
• Bronze – Riley Day (Teacher Academy)

Promotional Bulletin Board

• Bronze – Melanie Scott, Taylor Howell, Jenna Bradburn (Teacher Academy)

Engineering Technology/Design

• Gold – Makayla Porter (CADD), Brianna Rourke (Engineering), Harmony Clark (IT Networking)
• Bronze – Brady Weimert, Bradey Barr, Logan Grimm (Engineering)

Information Technology Services

• Silver – Cole Bowser (IT Networking)

Interactive Application and Video Game Design

• Gold – Ian Day, Vincent Churilla (Engineering)

Audio/Radio Production

• Gold – Jessica Abernethy, Haley Carroll (Digital Media Production)
• Bronze – Dominic Perrotta, Craig Donaldson (Digital Audio & Podcasting)

Emergency Medical Technician – EMT

• Silver – Shane Jackson, Megan Williams (Firefighting/EMT)
• Bronze – Rachel Montfort, Jason Scully (Firefighting/EMT)

Automotive Refinishing Technology

• Bronze – Jennifer Tippett (Automotive Refinishing and Repair)

Basic Health Care Skills

• Silver – Abigail Eberly (Academy of Health Professions)

Quiz Bowl

• Bronze – Makenna Porter (CCMA), Bryce Burch, Landon Palmer, Titus Coogan, Nathan Gonzalez (IT Networking)

Technical Drafting

• Bronze – Michael Owens (CADD)

Photography

• Silver – Mancil Gray (Graphic Communications)

Collision Damage Appraisal

• Gold – Ryan Tucker (Automotive Refinishing and Repair)

Career Pathways – Industrial and Engineering Technology

• Silver – Richard Guzman-Moran, Valeria Cervantes-Corona, Kylie Abell (Electrical Wiring)

Officer Elects

• SkillsUSA Maryland State Officer – Bryce Burch (IT Networking)
• SkillsUSA Maryland State Officer – Damien Maines (IT Networking)

National Voting Delegates

• Makenna Porter (CCMA)
• Camille Van Erp (IT Networking)

All gold medal winners are qualified to compete at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference to be held in Atlanta, GA, the week of June 24, 2024. The state officers and National Voting Delegates also attend the national conference as part of the state’s leadership and participate in the national delegate assembly.

Fifteen Forrest Center students have the opportunity to represent the state of Maryland in Atlanta this year. Fundraising efforts are currently underway.

If you would like to donate toward the students’ trip, call the school at 301-475-0242 and ask for Mary Thompson or Mike Stevens.