Diman Earns National Recognition at SkillsUSA

Diman students pose outside the hotel in Kansas City

Special to the Tradesman from Mr. Cabucio, SkillsUSA Advisor

The Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School SkillsUSA delegation returned to Kansas City, MO June 25-29, 2007 for its 43rd annual National Leadership and Skills Conference, a showcase of career and technical education students. Quality career and technical education was the centerpiece of the conference. More than14, 000 students, teachers, education leaders, and representatives from more than 1,100 national corporations, trade associations, businesses and labor unions attended the event. Special highlighted events were the SkillsUSA Championships June 27 and 28 with 87 hands-on skill and leadership competitions. The winners of the annual SkillsUSA Championships were announced Friday evening, June29, 2007 at the Awards Ceremony of the National Leadership and Skills Conference. The Conference was held June 25 - June 29, 2007, at the Municipal Auditorium, the Kemper Arena, H. Roe Bartle Hall, the downtown Marriott and the downtown Radisson in Kansas City, Missouri. Over 5,000 outstanding career and technical education students joined in the excitement of hands-on competition in eighty-four different trade, technical, and leadership fields. Working against the clock and each other, the participants proved their expertise in job skills for occupations such as electronics, technical drafting, precision machining, medical assisting and culinary arts. There were also competitions in leadership skills, such as extemporaneous speaking and conducting meetings by parliamentary procedures.

SkillsUSA is the national organization for students in trade, industrial, technical and health occupations education. It sponsors the SkillsUSA Championships annually to recognize the achievements of career and technical education students and to encourage them to strive for excellence and pride in their chosen occupations.

The contests are planned by technical committees made up of representatives of labor and management and are designed to test the skills needed for a successful entry-level performance in given occupational fields. Safety practices and procedures, an area of great concern to labor and management alike, are judged and graded and constitute a portion of a contestant's score. The Diman Regional Delegation of over 30 students and advisors was on hand for the weeklong event.

Congratulations to the entire Diman Regional Delegation for such a strong showing in bringing home seven medallions. Every member of the team finished in the top twenty in their vocation in the United States. Culinary Junior, Jonathan Root, attended the competition as one of just seven members of the elite Massachusetts Student State Leadership Officer Team.

Students Awarded Medals For a Top Three Finish In The United States

Job Skills Demonstration A, 2nd Place Finish (Silver Medal)
Kelly Carreiro, Sophomore, Health Careers. Fall River
Job Skills Demonstration B, 2nd Place Finish ( Silver Medal)
Darianna Frometa, Senior, Office Technology, Fall River
First Aid/CPR Post Secondary, 2nd Place Finish (Silver Medal)
William Flemming, Senior, Practical Nursing, Bristol, RI
First Aid/CPR, High School, 2nd Place Finish (Silver Medal)
Alicia-Jane (A.J.) Mederios, Senior, Health Careers, Fall River
Action Skills Demonstration, 2nd Place Finish (Silver Medal)
Michelle Moniz, Senior, Culinary Arts, Fall River
Sheet Metal Fabrication, 2nd Place Finish (Silver Medal)
Craig Warner, Junior, Metal Fabrication, Swansea
Practical Nursing Post Secondary, 3rd Place Finish (Bronze Medal)
Danielle Lambert, Senior, Practical Nursing, Somerset

Students Finishing in the Top Twenty In The United States

Architectural Drafting, 4th Place Finish
Michael Roussell, Senior, Drafting, Fall River
Cabinetmaking, 5th Place Finish
Wayne Lewis, Senior, House & Mill Carpentry, Fall River
Opening & Closing Ceremonies Team, 5th Place Finish
Rebecca Marques, Senior, Health Careers, Fall River
Felicia Mendonca, Senior, Dental Assisting, Fall River
Cierra Monteiro, Senior, Dental Assisting, Fall River
Amanda Raymond, Senior, Health Careers, Fall River
Alyssa Riley, Senior, Dental Assisting, Westport
Shaina Schmidt, Senior, Health Careers, Fall River
Jessica Torres, Senior, Culinary Arts, Fall River
CNC Milling, 6th Place Finish
Andrew Alvares, Junior, Machine Shop, Westport
First Aid/CPR High School, 17th Place
Jessica Candido, Sophomore, Health Careers, Fall River
Technical Drawing, 20th Place
Shane Cardoso, Senior, Drafting, FallRiver