SkillsUSA chapter officers include Samantha Dorwin, front left, Katie Gigliotti, Sophia Oliveri, Jordan Reinhardt, and, from back left, Laura Heritage, Andrew Corsi and Evan Delmolino.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — McCann Technical School Committee members applauded students for their participation in the SkillsUSA and Business Professionals of America (BPA) programs during Thursday night's meeting.

Students took the stage to outline in PowerPoint presentations the wide variety of activities and leadership opportunities they have taken advantage of since joining the programs.

SkillsUSA chapter officer Samantha Dorwin (who also serves as the SkillsUSA Massachusetts state treasurer) said the program has given her opportunities to give back to the community; Laura Heritage, recently chosen as the Massachusetts Region III vice president, said she has been given chances to lead her peers and practice professionalism.

School Committee member Gary Rivers, who chaired the meeting, congratulated the students and said he is "impressed with the in-depth participation of students and their community projects" and said "it speaks volumes about the kinds of individuals you are."

Committee member James Gazzaniga agreed, noting that even at relatively young ages the students are "participating at this level and solving problems." Mayor Richard Alcombright, a McCann graduate, said the school's commitment to the programs is "a credit to the students and staff."

Students regularly participate in district- and state-level competitions in their various areas of study or trade. Last year, McCann students brought home dozens of awards at the district and state levels, and student Ben Boisvert earned a gold medal at the SkillsUSA national competition for his work in sheet metal.

"For SkillsUSA, the competitions are very trade-specific," said adviser Pamela Dorwin. "Each shop has students competing in one or more events that are related to their curriculum and each event has its own guidelines. Most involve creating a project of some sort, either individually or as part of a team. The completed projects are assessed against set criteria.

"For BPA, competitions are divided into categories: Finance, Business Administration, Management Information Systems, Digital Communication & Design, and Management/Marketing/Communication. Some competitions (such as presentation management team) require students to prepare a project beforehand and present it to a panel of judges. Other competitions (such as Fundamental Word or PC Servicing & Troubleshooting) require students to complete a written test and/or a series of jobs to demonstrate their expertise of the subject."

The students are long on praise for the programs as well.

"Business Professionals of America has taught me people skills and helped me develop my own strengths," said Tessa Christman, a BPA chapter officer at McCann. Fellow chapter member Emma Andrews said students have gained "lots of opportunities" through the organization, and Amelia Renaud added that her experience has allowed her to meet new people and learn new things.

In addition to competitions, students take on leadership roles at higher levels as well. Information technology student Liz Culpepper was elected as the Massachusetts BPA secretary at the state leadership conference in September. Andrea Leal (business technology) was elected national secretary of the BPA at the national leadership conference in Indianapolis.

BPA is a career/technical student organization with 43,000 national members. They are students pursuing careers in business management, office administration, information technology and related career fields.

BPA students Amelia Renaud, Emma Andrews and Tessa Christman presented their program to the School Committee.

SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry representatives working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA is a national organization serving teachers and high school and college students who are preparing for careers in technical, skilled and service occupations, including health occupations and for further education.

SkillsUSA chapter officers include Liz Culpepper (president), Andrew Corsi (vice president), Sophia Oliveri (secretary), and Jordan Reinhardt (treasurer).

BPA chapter officers are Kevin Dowling, Tessa Christman, Lukas Yelle, and Olivia Zaleski.

"We could talk for hours about how these programs help," McCann Principal Justin Kratz said. "They give students the opportunity to assume leadership roles in school, plan and complete community service projects, and they have great opportunities to network with other vocational school students across the state and even the country."

Kratz added that students are better prepared to conduct themselves in a professional way when they enter the work force.

"When our school competes with other schools at state and national levels, the positive environment is refreshing to see in teenagers. They have a mature sense of healthy competition."

The programs, including travel to conferences, are funded through the school district, which Kratz says has made a strong commitment to both. All 505 McCann students are members of SkillsUSA and there are 11 chapter officers. Twenty students participate in BPA.

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