By: Rebecca Strevy

A couple weeks ago a group of kids from Galway in the BOCES program, competed in the Skills USA regionals competition. A few of these people are Katie Pitts, Jacob Saltsman, Tatyana Rodriguez, Dean Pitts, and Kevin Barnes. This competition was an all-day event where students from six different schools came together at SCCC to compete.

The day started off with an opening ceremony that soon led to each group being taken to where their competition was going to be held. I was in in the competition for Prepared Speech along with Jacob Saltsman. We were in the same group since we were in the same competition. As they called each group down, we started to become a little nervous. We were taken to a room above the cafeteria where we were told to wait for our turn. Surprisingly there were only two other competitors who were against me and Jacob.

When we picked the cards that stated our order Jacob and I were in the middle. I was number two and he was number three. We worked together so that both of us felt somewhat ready when we had to go in. I gave him my hair tie while he held my phone and helped me relax by making jokes. It worked out well for both of us; surprisingly we both went in and came out feeling like we did a great job.

At the award ceremony, we became extremely nervous.  Our competition started with a “P,” so we had to wait for a very long time (at least that’s how we felt).

When they started to call down the group before us we barely could sit still. They called down fourth place, Jacob Saltsman, third place, Rebecca Strevy, and then the other two places. We were happy that we got through the competition, but disappointed that we didn’t place higher. That’s just our story; there were so many others though who had the same kind of experience as well.

I was able to get a chance to interview a few of the other students and hear what they had to say. I took the time to sit down and ask Kevin Barnes, fourth place winner in Construction, how he felt about winning and having the opportunity to move on to the states competition. His competition involved creating a small scale model of a house. He says that he isn’t fully excited yet about states, but that when it comes closer to the competition the excitement will come. He is hoping to place in states as well, and tells anyone who is interested in competing in the future to “keep on keeping on.” I wish him luck as well as all the others who will be joining him at states.

Now that was just one of the winners who is going to states. There is one, however, who will be going to states because they were chosen by their teacher: Tatyana Rodriguez. She will be going for Security, and her title is Lieutenant. She is thrilled, and has told me that states are much more fun than regionals. She seems to be excited, and she should be.

As I talked to the winners and the ones who weren’t as fortunate they all seemed alright with it. There were the few who are really disappointed and angry they didn’t make it of course,  but most of them realized, “what is done is done.”

Katie Pitts also entered the competition, but was not able to make it to states. She said that she is kind of relieved that it’s over, but it would have been nice to have continued on.

All who entered the competition have taken their winning or losing quite graciously. As far as anyone is concerned, we are all winners. We may have thought we did awful on a project, but really we must not have since we have made it this far. Anyone who enters a competition has already won, no matter what the judge says. Congratulations to all who entered the regional competition, and good luck to those going on to states!