Orleans/Niagara BOCES would like to congratulate all our SkillsUSA students from the Orleans (OCTEC) and Niagara (NCTEC) Career and Technical Education Centers. They competed April 22nd - 24th at the 2026 NYS SkillsUSA Leadership Conference and Competition. Dozens of competitions were held at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse and the students brought home 28 medals in total and two ONBOCES students were elected to be New York State SkillsUSA officers. Congratulations to Brooke Dunkelberger (Barker) who will be an officer and Mia Kujawa (Medina) who will be a Voting Delegate.
Lockport senior Amelia Mussachio, who is in the Cosmetology program at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center, was chosen to sing the National Anthem at the Competition and blew everyone away with her performance.
SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA helps each student to excel and empowers its members to become world-class workers, leaders and responsible American citizens.
Many of the students winning gold medals have the opportunity to move on to the National competition in Atlanta, Georgia June 1st -6th. Orleans/Niagara BOCES Director of Career and Technical Education and Adult Education, Dr. Michael Weyrauch says he is grateful to all staff who volunteer their time to support the SkillsUSA students. “Thank you for recognizing our students’ potential and accepting the challenge to fight for their individual success, I am deeply appreciative and extremely proud of you. Each and every one of us play a significant role in molding our CTE students for what is next in their lives. We celebrate not only our students, but the role our teachers and support staff have in their accomplishments.”
Place | Name | Competition | District | CTE Program | CTE Site |
1st Place | Lavani Myles | Barbering | Lockport | Cosmetology II | OCTEC |
1st Place | Abigail Kincaid | Basic Health Care Skills | Albion | Allied Health II | OCTEC |
1st Place | Elliot Beyrle | CNC 3-Axis Milling Programmer | Albion | Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering | OCTEC |
1st Place | Erica Smith | Diesel Equipment Technology | Starpoint | Diesel Tech/Heavy Equipment II | NCTEC |
1st Place | Emiliana Batista | Health Occupations Professional Portfolio | Medina | Allied Health II | OCTEC |
1st Place | Owen Parker | Industrial Motor Control | Lew-Port | Electricity/Electronics II | NCTEC |
1st Place | Scott Stoddard | Information Technology Services | Starpoint | Computer Technology II | NCTEC |
1st Place | Michael Gorbach | Job Skill Demonstration | Starpoint | Diesel Tech/Heavy Equipment II | NCTEC |
1st Place | Emmalee Harden & Mason Jaramillo | Web Design & Development | Lew-Port /Roy-Hart | Web Development/NA | NCTEC |
2nd Place | Emily Case | Advertising Design | Lockport | Graphic Communications II | OCTEC |
2nd Place | Juliana Lambert, Maleana Messier & Xavier Severance | Automated Manufacturing Technology | Niagara Wheatfield/Lew-Port/Niagara Wheatfield | Project Based Engineering II | NCTEC |
2nd Place | Violette Streckewald | Customer Service | Roy-Hart | Cosmetology II | OCTEC |
2nd Place | Caleb Pierce | Internet of Things | Lew-Port | Computer Technology I | NCTEC |
2nd Place | Tanek Jaeger | Internet Working | Lew-Port | Computer Technology I | NCTEC |
2nd Place | Autumn Burke & Anthony Maldonado | 3-D Visualization & Animation | Niagara Wheatfield & Lockport | Animation, Film & Visual Effect I | NCTEC |
2nd Place | Gabriel Pagacz & Evan Larratta | Interactive Application Video | North Tonawanda & Niagara Wheatfield | Animation, Film & Visual Effects II/Web & Game Development II | NCTEC |
2nd Place | Kaylee Burkey | Cake Decorating | Lew-Port | Culinary Arts II | NCTEC |
2nd Place | Alexandria Kempton | Esthetics | Newfane | Cosmetology I | OCTEC |
2nd Place | Domenico Zuccari | Welding Sculpture | Niagara Wheatfield | Welding II | NCTEC |
3rd Place | Olyvia Berg | Advertising Design | Niagara Wheatfield | Graphic Communications II | NCTEC |
3rd Place | April Paul-Redding & Madelynn Doucet | Banner Contest | Wilson and Niagara Wheatfield | Early Childhood Education I | NCTEC |
3rd Place | Bella Muck & Zachary Abel | Commercial SUSA Drone | Wilson & North Tonawanda | Conservation I/Project Based Engineering I | NCTEC |
3rd Place | Abigiele Chukhanenko, Madison Ciupa & Lillian Dieselman | Community Service | Starpoint | Allied Health I | NCTEC |
3rd Place | Camden VandenBosch | Computer Programming | Roy-Hart | Computer Technology II | OCTEC |
3rd Place | Savannah Spoth | Cosmetology, Sr. | Lyndonville | Cosmetology II | OCTEC |
3rd Place | Anthony DiPaolo | Motorcycle Service Technology | Starpoint | Diesel Technology/Heavy Equipment II | NCTEC |