For Immediate Release

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Contact: Jessica Sacco
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Whittier Students Earn 25 Medals at SkillsUSA State Competition

15 Students Moving Onto National Competition

Students from Amesbury, Georgetown, Haverhill, Merrimac, Newburyport and Salisbury Place

HAVERHILL — Superintendent Maureen Lynch is pleased to announce that 25 Whittier Tech students earned medals at the state SkillsUSA competition, with 15 taking home gold and qualifying for the national contest in June.

Ninety-five Whittier students spent many hours planning and preparing to compete in more than 30 contests at the SkillsUSA 45th Annual State Leadership and Skills Conference on April 25-27 in Marlborough.

In addition to the 15 students who won gold medals, four earned silver medals and six received bronze.

Machine Tech freshman Ryan Link, of Haverhill, was elected as a national voting delegate and Dental Assisting junior Lauren Fitzgerald, of Salisbury, was re-elected as a state officer.

“We want to congratulate all Whittier Tech students who participated in the annual SkillsUSA competition,” Superintendent Lynch said. “Students work all year preparing for this event, so to place is a huge accomplishment that illustrates participants’ clear understanding of a subject, critical thinking and creativity.”

The medalists are:

GOLD: Chapter Display
Electrical Technology students: Sophomore Josh Roberts, of Haverhill, senior Kaitlyn Cook, of Haverhill and sophomore Nick Muryn, of Amesbury

GOLD: Career Pathways Showcase: Arts & Communication
Design & Visual Communications students: Senior Rhina Tiburcio, of Haverhill, junior Seda Tuncok, of Haverhill, and junior Zachary DePaolo, of Newburyport. They won for their 2018 animated yearbook.

“It was a good experience, especially socializing with our competition,” Tuncok said. “Even though I’m involved in our school drama productions, public speaking is a lot harder than expected.”

GOLD: Career Pathways Showcase: Business/Management/Technology
Marketing and Business Management students: Junior Halie Alsarabi, senior Josmell Ramos and junior Megan Jegorow, all of Haverhill

GOLD: Career Pathways Showcase: Health Services
Health Occupations students: Senior Allasandra Thompson, of Haverhill, sophomore Vitoria Paiva, of Merrimac, and senior Larissa Havey, of Amesbury

GOLD: Urban Search and Rescue
Electronics/Robotics students: Senior Dylan Grandmaison, of Haverhill, and senior Nolan Turi, of Newburyport

“It was fun to meet all of the people there,” Turi said. Their task was to build a mobile robot to complete specific tasks used by fire, police and military service personnel to secure an area by locating, neutralizing, moving, and disposing of explosive materials. “My advice is to go to Skills and go twice because last year I didn’t place and this year I am going to nationals.”

GOLD: CNC Technician
Machine Technology student: Senior Bryan Richards, of Georgetown

“It’s a great feeling to win,” Richards said. “Preparing for the competition is tough work, but winning makes it worth it.”

SILVER: Commercial Baking
Culinary Arts student: Junior Jillian Marden, of Merrimac

SILVER: HVACR
HVAC student: Senior Samuel Claflin, of Haverhill

SILVER: Community Action Project
Early Education and Care students: Sophomores Sharyn Britton and Victoria Miller, both of Haverhill

BRONZE: Career Pathways Showcase: Human Services
Culinary Arts students: Junior Sydney Stewart, senior Autumn Mulloy and senior Sierra Barry, all of Haverhill

BRONZE: Community Service
Early Education and Care students: Seniors Ashley Greene, of Salisbury, Mackenzie Collins, of Amesbury, and Melissa Cepeda, of Haverhill

###