Two students from Questar III’s Columbia-Greene Educational Center (CGEC) in Hudson placed first and third at the state level of the SkillsUSA competition in Syracuse. They competed against 1,500 high school students from across New York.
SkillsUSA is a national organization for high school students enrolled in career and technical education (CTE) programs. The SkillsUSA competition, which is judged by industry professionals, tests technical and professional skills through hands-on and written contests ranging from automotive technologies to welding.
Elizabeth Hamm, a student from the Culinary Arts program, came in first in the Customer Service contest, which involved role-playing situations, problem solving, conflict resolution and business etiquette.
A senior from Taconic Hills High School, Hamm will now compete at the national competition in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 20 to 24.
“I like working with people and I’m good with people,” she said. “The contest was very intense, but we all helped each other. I enjoyed it.”
Continuing, Hamm noted how grateful she is that people at CGEC are raising funds for her trip to Missouri.
“Everyone is amazing,” she said. “The automotive students hosted a car wash and detail service and all their proceeds went towards my trip. My class is selling breakfast sandwiches to raise money and some teachers have bought sandwiches for their whole class to support me.
“I love Questar,” Hamm added. “It gives opportunities to all students and really trains us for our occupational fields.”
Hamm’s teacher, Chef Pete Desmond, said “Lizz is a dynamic young culinarian who strives for excellence. We are very proud of her accomplishments and look forward to her future endeavors.”
Hamm plans to continue her studies in business marketing at Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) or Johnson and Wales in Rhode Island.
CGEC’s second SkillsUSA state winner was Kain Klob from Questar III’s Academy for Information Technology (AIT) program. A Greenville High School senior, Klob placed third in the Internetworking competition which consisted of networking design, general networking knowledge and hands-on demonstrations.
“The contest was awesome,” he said.” The work we did was very challenging and really tested how good our skills are and what we know.”
Klob will attend HVCC for computer information science, then continue at the Rochester Institute for Technology.
“Questar III has provided excellent basics and hands-on experience,” he stated. “We’ve pulled wires and upgraded systems. Michael Knichel is a great teacher. He’s knowledgeable and he makes learning fun.”
Knichel said “Kain is a fabulous student. He’s very motivated, driven and hardworking, and he loves to have fun. I’m going to miss him.”
