Career & Tech students, alumna take on Washington, D.C.
The Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical School has a strong presence in our nation's capital, as Schoharie campus seniors Ashley Myers (Cobleskill Richmondville High School) and Jordan Gonyea (Berne-Knox-Westerlo) represented SkillsUSA as state officers at the organization's Washington Leadership Training Institute September 18-22. Myers is SkillsUSA New York State parliamentarian and Gonyea is state treasurer. While in Washington, D.C., they met with New Visions: Law & Government class of 2007 alumna Emily Callen, who just started working for the White House as analyst in the Office of Presidential Correspondence.
"It's all pretty exciting," said Schoharie Career & Tech Principal Denise Capece, "especially given the fact that Ashley and Jordan are the first two students from one school to serve as New York State SkillsUSA officers in the same year."
New Visions alumna Callen graduated from Shenendehowa High School and went on to the University of Tulsa on a full scholarship. While still a college student, she had a paid fellowship organizing for the Obama campaign in Pennsylvania, which led to her becoming a paid field organizer during her Fall '08 semester. An internship with the White House this past summer led to her current position in the Office of Presidential Correspondence.
New Visions: Law & Government is one of four, off-campus New Visions programs that enable high school seniors to immerse themselves in studying careers including the legal profession and government, health and medicine, journalism and media studies, and human services and education.
The SkillsUSA Leadership Training Institute brings select students to Washington, D.C. for development of their skills in leadership, citizenship and their chosen professions. Gonyea and Myers were slated to meet with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, to discuss the importance of high school career and technical education. Gonyea is a student in the Residential Construction/Heavy Equipment program at Career & Tech, and Myers is a Criminal Justice student.
“This conference is going to show me how to be a leader,” Gonyea said just a few days before he left for Washington. “It's a great opportunity to know what it feels like to be in charge.”
Gonyea first discovered a knack for building and working with his hands when he began helping his uncle, a pipe fitter, with odd jobs. He plans to one day open his own business, and said he owes his success to the opportunity to hone his trade skills at Career & Tech.
“It’s changed everything in my life,” Gonyea says. “I never thought I’d get to the point where I am now. This program will take you places.”
SkillsUSA is a national, nonprofit organization for career and technical education students in trade programs.
SkillsUSA state officers and Schoharie Career
& Tech students Jordan Gonyea and Ashley Myers traveled to Niagara
Falls this summer for SkillsUSA leadership training. A trip
highlight was a journey on the famous Maid of the Mist boat.
[9/22/10]
