As officers in their SkillsUSA chapter at the Center for Career Services, Emily Sander, an Animal Science student, and Culinary Arts students Gianna Stracuzzi and PK Salvador have formed a bond.
“I would not have met them otherwise,” she said.
Helping develop that type of campus-wide camaraderie is one of the many benefits of SkillsUSA, a national workforce development organization that empowers students to hone their leadership and professional skills.
“Everyone talks about SkillsUSA and how great it is for your career to be part of this program,” said Stracuzzi, the chapter’s Vice President. “I want to be a chef, and this has been great to get ready for college and for the workforce. I’ve loved being an officer. It’s been great to get out of my comfort zone and speak to people and learn how to be a leader.”
Career Services students involved in the school’s SkillsUSA chapter have been eagerly preparing for the SkillsUSA Area IV Regional Competition, which will return to campus for the second straight year on Saturday, Feb. 28. More than 600 students are expected to compete, which is more than a 30% increase from last year. And Southern Westchester BOCES’ participation has spiked as well, with more than four dozen students expected to compete in 38 hands-on events.
“I am very excited for Saturday,” said Salvador, the chapter’s Treasurer. “This is my first SkillsUSA competition. I have been studying, and it’s been cool seeing people around campus studying and getting ready for their competitions.”
That excitement will peak in the coming days, but SkillsUSA students have been meeting since the beginning of the school year. They have met classmates from other programs and other high schools throughout Westchester County, allowing them to form friendships and network with others, which are formative skills in their own right.
The organization also requires students to assume leadership roles they wouldn’t otherwise fill.
“Having the opportunity to take a hold of everything and be a leader, those are skills I wouldn’t have used otherwise,” said Sander, the chapter President. “Those are very good skills for us to exercise.”