Cape Tech Students Attend National Competition
Published on Wednesday, September 12, 2007
During a warm week in June, three graduates proudly represented Cape Cod Tech as they traveled to Kansas City, Missouri for the SkillsUSA national competition. The flight from Logan ran into some trouble when the plane was damaged by a luggage hauler. The scene outside the terminal window was comical. Airline representatives discussed whether the plane could be repaired in time to leave Boston. The tools used to repair the damaged luggage door hinge included hammers, pliers and a roll of silver duct tape.
While repairs were attempted our students got a chance to meet and greet the rest of the stranded state gold-medalist students from Team Massachusetts. They too were anxious to spend their week competing at the national level. A new plane arrived seven hours later, and we were finally off to Kansas City.
The week went smoothly once we arrived. Our graduates Marco Moreira, Peter Thornton, Mike Preservati were accompanied by Mr. Souza from IT, Mr. Rand from Marine Services and Mrs. Olsen from Graphic Arts. Students from all over the country checked in with our group, hoping to trade state pins and phone numbers.
As we walked around the convention area, industry partnerships were evident. Participants were able to try new and improved tools, compete for free prizes, or try their luck at a raffle item, such as a Harley Davidson motorcycle painted by Justin from Orange Country Choppers.
Demonstrations and classes were offered through SkillsUSA, industry sponsors, technical colleges and professional agencies. Many companies and colleges were hoping to attract skilled workers who are already the number one students in their state’s trade area.
Marco and Peter spent hours preparing sample websites for their Web Design competition. They spent over eight hours producing one website containing roughly 20 well-designed pages of information. They competed against 32 other teams from around the country.
Mike Preservati repaired, diagnosed and trouble-shot various marine engine problems as part of his competition. He had the advantage of having competing last year and knew what to expect. He placed third last year and was hoping for gold or silver this year.
The competition days were long, but the trip to the Worlds of Fun theme park made up for it. The amusement park opened for SkillsUSA members only. Our group tried every roller coaster, bumper car and thrill ride.
The anxiety of thrill rides was nothing compared to the anticipation of student competitors waiting for the winners to be announced. The Kemper Arena was filled with over 80,000 participants waiting to hear who won each competition. Team Massachusetts jumped to their feet as Mike Preservati’s name was announced as the silver medal winner for Marine Service. Mike looked great on stage with his silver medallion. Marco and Peter were disappointed to hear other names announced as Web Design winners.
After the national award ceremony the state had its own award ceremony where Marco and Peter found out they had placed fifth in the nation. They were tremendously proud of their fifth place certificates, as this was the first year Cape Cod Tech participated in the Web Design competition.
The ride home was a review of a great week and of the four years leading up to the event. Sad that their high school years were officially behind them Mike, Marco and Peter thanked Mr. Rand and Mr. Souza for the many opportunities provided to them.
As this school year begins, we hope your year can end in such a positive way. Make the most of every opportunity given to you.
By Carol Olsen
This article was published in the school newspaper, The Cape Tech Times. To check out the latest issue visit our Check It Out section.