Vocational students from Lapeer East, Lapeer West and Lapeer Community High School have scored well in State competitions and some of the students will compete nationally.
Lapeer East and Lapeer West High School students participating in vocational courses at the Lapeer County Intermediate School Education and Technology Center placed in 14 competitions at the Skills USA State Conference the weekend of April 16-18.
To see photos of the top winners at the Skills USA contest go to the District photo gallery.
Two students from Lapeer East, Joshua McDonald (Computer-aided Design) and Colin Hile (Culinary Arts) and one student from Lapeer West, Mark Wells (Welding and Machining) will compete at the Skills USA National Conference as a result of first place finishes at the State event.
One other East student, Corey Uren, placed first in Residential Electrical and HVAC, but will not go onto the national competition because there is no similar competition at the nationals.
Also placing at the State conference was: Lapeer East; Mollie Brennan (2nd -Culinary Arts); Steven Hoffa (2nd-Culinary Arts); Dylan Anderson (3rd-Diesel Technology); Myranda Jenks (3rd-Early Childhood); and Justin Ferguson (3rd-Electronics). Lapeer West students who placed were: Joe Gingiloski (3rd-Collision Repair); Ashlynn Balmer (2nd-Culinary Arts); Deanna Childress (2nd-Culinary Arts); Jessica Gary (3rd-Early Childhood); and Luke Woolner (Welding and Machining).
Competitions included a variety of areas within each discipline, such as events like Team Banquet and Commercial Baking within the Culinary Arts section; and Preschool Teaching Assistant and Prepared Speech in the Early Childhood area.
Students won prizes and scholarships ranging from t-shirts and pins to scholarships worth up to $17,000 at vocational institutions.
Jordan Ging, of Lapeer West, placed second in Personal Care at the Health Occupations Students of America competition at the Grand Traverse Resort last weekend and will now compete nationally at a Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando.
Kaitlyn Brennan, of Lapeer Community High School, Cora Lenneman and Marissa Powell, of Lapeer East were part of a first place team in the floral category at the State FFA competition.
