Students from Bernalillo High School are glowing after winning awards for the second year in a row for leadership in the trades field.
Earlier this month, Bernalillo High participated in the New Mexico SkillsUSA Leadership Conference in Albuquerque, a conference built in the framework that encourages the country’s future workforce through the development of personal, workplace and technical skills grounded in academics.
This year Bernalillo High School took 20 students to compete in various training programs. The training programs students competed in were Agriculture Science, Welding (individual), Welding Fabrication, Video and TV production, Automotive Service Technology, Carpentry, Culinary Arts, first aid and CPR, and Electrical Wiring.
Four Bernalillo High School training programs received recognition; Joseph Quintana received a bronze medal for electrical wiring, Jaden Lovato received a silver medal for carpentry, Kaylina Totalita won a silver medal for First-Aid & CPR and Agriculture Science- Gracie McCloskey, Anthony Otero, and Jenay Sias placed first in Agriculture Science. The state gold medalists will move on to represent SkillsUSA New Mexico at the National Skills and Leadership Conference.
The awards varied based on the training program they enrolled in and included tool sets and gift cards. School officials say the partnership between students, advisors, and industry partners is essential to the success of these students.
“I really enjoyed participating in SkillsUSA. It has taught me a lot about being a leader and adaptability. We were able to communicate with a lot of different people in different training programs and learned a lot about them. I’m excited to go to Nationals and gain more experience, win or lose,” said Gracie McCloskey.