By: Rebecca Strevy

When one enters the BOCES program, for whatever their learning interest may be, you have the chance of also entering into the Skills USA competition.  Since BOCES is automatically part of Skills USA there is no need for special registration.   I have decided to be part of the BOCES program and therefore I could participate in Skills USA.

I decided to try out for the Prepared Speech, which was to be 5-7 minutes long, fully memorized, and having to do with the topic “Respecting All Perspectives.”  When I first looked at the topic, I was trying to figure out how one could do that, but as I worked on it and received help from friends and family, it started to be a much easier topic than I originally thought.

I wrote the speech out several times before finally having it come out right.  It was very frustrating, and then there was the whole aspect of memorizing it.  When I finally memorized I thought that I had it down, until I started to become nervous.  I was thinking of all the pressure and the worry of not making it.  Looks like I was not the only person in Galway who was preparing for this contest. Actually there was a senior who was preparing for it as well, Jake (in other words Fluffy).  (Well he actually did the exact opposite of what I did.)

The competition happened on Wednesday, the 16^th.  When I went to go give my speech to the judges, I was really nervous but felt that I could do a good job. Well, right when I got to the part that I had the most trouble with drills, saws, and hammers started in the room right across the hall.  I really started to become nervous and ended up messing up a couple of times but kept on going.  I ended finishing in the time available and felt awful when I came out.  I really was worried about not placing.  When I talked to Jake on the bus, he said that he just did what he could that would work.

The next day we were able to find out the results.  Jake placed 2^nd and I placed 1^st, which is really cool yet surprising.  So this means that the pressure is not over and that both of us are going to Regionals at SCCC on March 16^th.  I’m sure that both of us will do great, even when we think we won’t. And it doesn’t matter whether or not we win.  It’s a great experience and looks good on college applications.  I hope that we both will do well and that any other students going for some other reason will do well too, and have some fun as well.