RED JACKET WEARERS, representing top finishers at this year’s SkillsUSA competition are Lake Region Vocational Center students (front, left to right) Miranda Cady, Kelsey Fadden and Trevor Thorne; (back row) Nicole Conley, Kyla Belyea, Joey Austin, Jake Utter and Kourtney Burnham.

Twenty-two excited and enthusiastic Lake Region Vocational Center students accompanied by eight dedicated advisors traveled to Bangor to compete in the SkillsUSA Maine Championships on Thursday, March 14.

SkillsUSA Maine, a state affiliate of the National SkillsUSA organization, hosts an annual state-level competition for each vocational school program to encourage the development of a strong work ethic and skill mastery among high school students. This prepares them for future employment.

Gold medal winners at the state level have an opportunity to represent their school and state at the National SkillsUSA Championships in Kansas City, Mo., in June.

This year, Joseph (Joey) Austin, a second-year student in the LRVC Culinary Arts Program, earned a gold medal for his presentation on beekeeping in the Job Demonstration Competition. He will represent Maine and LRVC in Kansas City.

Seven other students earned bronze medals at the state competitions this year including: Miranda Cady (Commercial Baking), Kelsey Fadden (Customer Service), Trevor Thorne and Jake Utter (Sustainability Solutions), and Nicole Conley, Kyla Belyea and Kourtney Burnham (Crime Scene Investigation). The LRVC advisors are proud of all of the student competitors for participating in this event.

The list of all LRVC students who competed at the state conference includes:

Joseph Austin, Job Demo O

RJ Legere, Criminal Justice

Michale Dandaneau, Criminal Justice

Daniel Rienhard, Carpentry

Cody Rienhard, Cabinetmaking

Brandon Bell, Cabinetmaking

Sarah Hemingway, Architectural Drafting

Krystina Robblee, Basic Health Care Skills

Miranda Cady, Commercial Baking

Nicole Conley, Crime Scene Investigation

Kyla Belyea, Crime Scene Investigation

Kourtney Burnham, Crime Scene Investigation

Kelsey Fadden, Customer Service

Alex Theriault, Job Demo A

Greyson Hikel, Extemporaneous Speaking

Michaela Gagnon, Health Occupations Professional Portfolio

Jake Dole, Promotional Bulletin Board

Wyatt Lavoie, Promotional Bulletin Board

Joseph Deremer, Promotional Bulletin Board

Trevor Thorne, Sustainability Solutions

Jake Utter, Sustainability Solutions

Michael Brooks, Culinary Arts.

A benefit dinner to assist in paying Joey’s expenses to Kansas City will be held on April 25. More details will be available closer to the benefit date.