10th Grader Wins First Place in the NY State Regional Skills USA Competition

North Shore tenth grader, Henry Mahnken, won first place in the New York State Regional Skills USA Competition held at Suffolk Community College.  Henry was one of ten students from Barry Tech or Long Island High School for the Arts that took first place. Henry won first place in the carpentry contest, which is his area of study at Barry Tech.

Director of Counseling, Dan Doherty, said “Congratulations to Henry on this wonderful accomplishment and best of luck in the State competition. Henry won this competition as a tenth grader competing against eleventh and graders, which makes the achievement that much more impressive.”

The regional conference is part of a national series of events that SkillsUSA sponsors as part of its mission to provide our country with a competitive, skilled workforce. During the event, students participate in a series of timed events related to their courses of study at Barry Tech, GC Tech and Long Island High School for the Arts. They also take part in competitions that focus on leadership and professional development. Students who are successful at the regional level of competition advance to the State Conference in Syracuse, N.Y. Top achievers move on to the National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, K.Y. in June.

SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry leaders working together to prepare high school and college students to become leaders in the business world. The program helps establish industry standards for job-skills training and instills a respect for community service in its participants. The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes SkillsUSA as a “successful model of an employer-driven youth development program.”

Article and photos submitted by Mr. Dan Doherty