Whittier Tech Students Place, Qualify for States at District IV SkillsUSA Conference

HAVERHILL – Superintendent Maureen Lynch is pleased to share that more than 40 Whittier Tech students placed at the District IV SkillsUSA Conference, with 29 qualifying to compete in the statewide conference.

The District IV conference was held on Thursday, March 11. More than 150 Whittier Tech students registered for the competition and participated remotely due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Students who competed in the district competition took a written SkillsUSA employment skills test as well as a written test regarding their trade.

“We are extremely proud of all the students who participated,” Superintendent Lynch. “It has been a trying year for Career Technical Education with students in hybrid or remote learning. But our students have risen to the occasion all year, and at the District competition they showed they have the skills necessary for success in the working world.”

Whittier Tech students who placed in the competition include:

• Yenice Alejandro Lopez, a senior from Haverhill, and Kate Velazquez, a sophomore from Haverhill, placed second as a team in 3-D Visualization and Animation and qualified for the statewide competition.
• Daniel Kolman, a sophomore from Newburyport, and Gabriel Young, a sophomore from Haverhill, placed third as a team in 3-D Visualization and Animation and qualified for the statewide competition.
• Aaron Bacon, a sophomore from Haverhill, and Liam Dunphy, a senior from Haverhill, placed third as a team in Additive Manufacturing.
• Tommy Reynoso, a senior from Bradford, placed third in Architectural Drafting.
• Thomas Volpone, a senior from Newbury, placed first in Cabinetmaking and qualified for the statewide competition.
• Carmen Powers, a junior from Groveland, placed second in Cabinetmaking and qualified for the statewide competition.
• Jesse Manchaca, a junior from Salisbury, placed third in Cabinetmaking.
• Tyler Shapiro, a senior from Haverhill, placed first in CNC Milling Specialist and qualified for the statewide competition.
• Sedric Miner, a junior from Ipswich, placed third in CNC Milling Specialist.
• Ryan Link, a junior from Haverhill, placed first in CNC Turning Specialist and qualified for the statewide competition.
• Nora Broadrick, a junior from Amesbury, placed first in Commercial Baking and qualified for the statewide competition.
• Jennalyse Sierra, a sophomore from Haverhill, placed second in Commercial Baking and qualified for the statewide competition.
• Olivia Delisle, a junior from Groveland, placed first in Culinary Arts and qualified for the statewide competition.
• Zoe Meyer, a junior from Haverhill, placed third in Customer Service.
• Ashleigh Viola, a senior from Haverhill, placed first in Early Childhood Education and qualified for the statewide competition.
• Rachel Christopher, a senior from Merrimac, placed second in Early Childhood Education and qualified for the statewide competition.
• Theodore Thomson, a senior from Amesbury, placed first in Electronics Technology and qualified for the statewide competition.
• James Gorman, a senior from Newburyport, placed second in Electronics Technology and qualified for the statewide competition.
• Marisa Behl, a sophomore from Georgetown, Kaliah Chernick, a sophomore from Newburyport, Victoria Dawkins, a sophomore from Haverhill, and Shaelin Lombard, a sophomore from Newburyport, placed third as a team in Health Knowledge Bowl.
• Matthew Livengood, a senior from Salisbury, placed fifth in Masonry and qualified for the statewide competition.
• Rossi Bonjorno, a junior from Ipswich, placed first in Plumbing and qualified for the statewide competition.
• Noel Allen, a junior from Salisbury, placed second in Restaurant Service and qualified for the statewide competition.
• Peter Byran and Justin Doherty, both seniors from Haverhill, placed second as a team in Robotics and Automation Technology.
• Jackson Bonfiglioli, a junior from Haverhill, placed first in Sheet Metal and qualified for the statewide competition.
• Caleb Metz, a senior from Merrimac, placed second in Sheet Metal and qualified for the statewide competition.
• Emily Silva, a senior from Haverhill, placed third in Sheet Metal and qualified for the statewide competition.
• Benjamin Hussey and Kody Dicredico, both sophomores from Groveland, Damitri Junito Acevedo-Torres, a sophomore from Haverhill, and Malik
  Beslagic, a sophomore from Amesbury, finished third as a team in Team Works.
• Roberto Bravo, a junior from Haverhill, placed third in Technical Drafting.
• Caleb Cook, a senior from Haverhill, and Tyler Magowan, a senior from Amesbury, placed first as a team in Urban Search and Rescue and qualified for the statewide competition.
• Luca Lessard and Tyler Wilson, both sophomores from Amesbury, placed second as a team in Urban Search and Rescue.
• Kai Portella, a sophomore from Haverhill, and Brady Killen, a sophomore from Rowley, placed third as a team in Urban Search and Rescue.
• Colin Haynes, a senior from Salisbury, placed second in Welding and qualified for the statewide competition.
• Joseph Zappala, a junior from Haverhill, placed second in Welding Sculpture and qualified for the statewide competition.

SkillsUSA hosted six regional contests for districts across the state this February and March. Students who qualified in their district will move on to compete in the State Leadership & Skills Conference from Thursday, April 29 through Saturday, May 1. This year’s State competition will be a hybrid event. Some students will compete remotely, depending on discipline, while others will compete in-person at Blackstone Valley Tech in Upton.

Students who qualify in the state championship will be eligible to compete in the National Leadership & Skills Conference in June.

SkillsUSA Massachusetts is the state chapter of the national SkillsUSA organization, both of which support students in middle school and beyond who are studying to work in the trade, technical and skilled service fields. To learn more about SkillsUSA Massachusetts, please visit their website here. More information about the national SkillsUSA program can be found here.

• Category: Whittier Tech
• Tag: Whittier