20 March, 2015
KEEFE TECH STUDENTS BRING HOME AWARDS FROM TWO CONFERENCES
Students from Keefe Regional Technical High School won awards in both the District III Massachusetts SkillsUSA Conference and the annual Business Professionals of America (BPA) State Leadership Conference in recent weeks.
On February 25 over 700 participants from ten regional technical schools competed in the SkillsUSA District Competition hosted by Keefe Tech. Students competed in over 50 contests, which included a written SkillsUSA employment skills test, a written trade knowledge test and a safety test. Subject areas included Internetworking, Web Design, Practical Nursing and Graphic Communications.
SkillsUSA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preparing high school and college students for careers in technical, trade, and skilled service occupations through local, state, and national programs. It provides quality education experiences for students in leadership, teamwork, citizenship, and character development. It builds and reinforces self-confidence, work attitudes and communication skills, emphasizing total quality at work, high ethical standards, superior work skills, lifelong education and pride in the dignity of work.
Breeana Choate, a sophomore from Framingham who won a gold award in Restaurant Service worked hard to prepare for the competition and was pleasantly surprised by the results. “At first I was nervous but this was a great experience and I would recommend it to other students. If you are prepared, you will do well in the competition. I’ve already learned so much here at Keefe and after college I hope to be a restaurant owner or food critic.”
Keefe students won eight gold, twelve silver and six bronze medals. Gold and silver medal winners will move on to the state conference held at Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School in Upton on May 1.
Keefe Tech gold winners were: Oren Pinkhasov and Thomas Walukevich of Natick; Breeana Choate, Brian Buckley, Brady Bykowski and Catherine Liranzo of Framingham; Jenna Kennally of Holliston and Post-grad student Jason Lussier. Silver medalists: Erin Dowdy of Natick; Abigail Keeney and Andrew Hancock of Holliston; Jennifer Melara, Jasmine Claudio, Xiomara Lopez, Anniabell Pena, Stephanie Rigot, Brian Burns, Samantha Phipps and Briana Santiago of Framingham; Madison Brown of Ashland. Bronze medalists: Efrain Archila, Richard Boran, Emily Martis and Jorge Severino Baez Jr. of Framingham; Elexus Rudy Cavanaugh of Hopkinton and Ian Heino of Natick.
“We are thrilled that so many of our students get involved in SkillsUSA. It’s not just about the competition - it’s a great team-building event. It’s about the camaraderie, getting to meet students from other schools and learning about the importance of being proficient in your undertakings. We stress that this experience will affect what they do throughout their lives. It gives our students a whole new perspective about their futures and motivates them to reach their goals. Each year new leaders emerge and students see themselves differently,” noted John Brochu, Director of Career and Technical Education at Keefe.
Twenty-seven Keefe Tech students participated in the annual BPA Conference held in Framingham and Upton March 7-9. Sixteen students earned certificates in several competitions, winning 29 skills awards and two service awards.
Business Professionals of America is a national Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) for high school, college and middle school students preparing for careers in business and information technology. BPA provides opportunities to develop leadership skills, grow personally and professionally, and compete utilizing career related competencies. Involvement in Business Professionals of America enhances social awareness, civic responsibility, and business communication skills.
Eleven students earned the top two spots in their competitions and will attend the BPA National Leadership Conference (NLC) in Anaheim, California, May 6-10.
The following Keefe Tech students placed in the top five positions in their categories:
First place winners were: Cheyanne Brown, Nicole Shearer, and Patrick Stearns of Ashland; Miguel Carrillo and Samantha Phipps of Framingham; Brianna Feliciano and Joshua Martin of Holliston and Ian Heino of Natick. Second place winners: Andrew Hancock and Brianna Feliciano of Holliston; Nicole Shearer of Ashland; Ygor Pimenta of Framingham and Oren Pinkhasov and Ian Heino of Natick. Third place winners: Valeria Arauz of Framingham; Jacob Morris of Natick and Christopher Rossini of Holliston. Fourth place winners: Samantha Phipps, Stephanie Rigot, Mirian Recinos of Framingham. Fifth place winners: Andrew Hancock and Joshua Martin (two awards) of Holliston; and Patrick Stearns (two awards) of Ashland; Oren Pinkhasov of Natick; Samantha Phipps, Mirian Recinos, and Stephanie Rigot of Framingham.
Two students were recognized for their Torch Award achievements. The Torch Awards program frames and guides a BPA member’s leadership and service to his or her chapter and community. Students complete activities in the seven Torch categories – Leadership, Service, Cooperation, Knowledge, Friendship, Love, Hope, Faith and Patriotism. Brianna Felciano received the Statesman Award, the second of three levels in the program. Nicole Shearer received the Ambassador Award, the highest level.
According to Patricia Boyd, Keefe BPA Co-Advisor, “In previous years, BPA participants were primarily from our Business Technology, Information Technology, and Programming/Web Development programs. This year we were able to interest students in more departments and were happy to have students from Graphics, Health Careers, and Metal Fabrication competing as well. This generation of students is so competitive. Competition raises their perception of what’s good and allows them to compare themselves against other students. The skills the students utilize in this competition are so necessary for college and life overall.”
1st Photo - Four Keefe Regional Technical High School students enrolled in the school’s Health Careers program won silver medals in the Health Knowledge Bowl Competition at the District III Massachusetts SkillsUSA Conference held March 7-9. Pictured left to right, bottom row: Jennifer Melara and Anniabell Pena, top row: Jasmine Claudio and Xiomara Lopez, all of Framingham.
2nd Photo - Four students from Keefe Regional Technical High School received First Place in the Administrative Support Team competition at the Business Professionals of America State Leadership Conference held in Framingham and Upton March 7-9. Pictured left to right: Patrick Stearns, Cheyanne Brown and Nicole Shearer of Ashland and Brianna Feliciano of Holliston.
3rd Photo - Keefe Regional Technical High School student Jenna Kennally of Holliston won a gold medal in First Aid & CPR in the District III Massachusetts SkillsUSA Conference in February. She is a senior majoring in Health Careers and plans to study Nursing in college this fall.
4th Photo - Jason Lussier (right) of Holliston won a gold medal in the District III Massachusetts SkillsUSA Conference in February in residential wood framing and will move on to the state competition in May. A 2011 graduate of Holliston High School, Lussier is a Carpentry major in the Keefe Regional Technical High School Post-Graduate Program. He is currently participating in a Carpentry co-op at Maize Restoration & Remodeling in Framingham, owned by Chase Piedra (left), a 2007 graduate of Keefe Tech.
5th Photo - Twenty-seven Keefe Regional Technical High School students competed in the Annual Business Professionals of America (BPA) State Leadership Conference held in Framingham and Upton March 7-9. Sixteen students earned certificates in several competitions winning 29 skills awards and two service awards. Eleven students achieved the top two spots in their competitions and will attend the BPA National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, California May 6-10. Standing with the students are Business Technology instructors and co-advisors Patricia Boyd and Margaret Ellis.
