Thirteen Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School students will move on to the state finals of the national SkillsUSA tournament after winning medals at the district championships held recently in New Bedford.

SkillsUSA is a national program, intended to promote and reward students who are receiving training in vocational skills. The national tournament seeks to find and reward students who excel at their skills and who will “ensure that America has a skilled workforce,” according to the program’s website.

The competition generally consists of two tests. The first, an “employability” assessment, judges how much students understand about the modern workplace–particularly the workplaces where they will be serving. The second test, a skill-specific examination, judges students’ ability in, and understanding of, their chosen skill.

At the district competition, 69 of Old Colony’s finest students competed in a series of tests according to their chosen skills, which included such vocations as carpentry, health careers, and culinary arts amongst others.

Thirteen students returned from the competition with gold or silver medals, which automatically qualified them for the state finals, to be held in Marlboro in April.

Seven Old Colony students scooped gold medals overall: seniors Kyle Silva (CNC Technician) and Rebecca Dawicki (Nurse Assisting), juniors Patrick Flannery (Electronics) and Maxwell Smith (Culinary Arts), and sophomore Katherine Ashley (Technical Drafting). The combined team of sophomore Jameson Woodward and senior Sadie Lombardi also won a gold medal in Web Design.

Old Colony students were also showered in silver medals; seniors Thomas Dawicki (Technical Drafting) and John Barnes (Electronics), junior Zachary Soucy (Machine & Tool Technology), and sophomore Zachary McMahon (Technical Computer Applications).  The combined team of sophomore Cole Taylor and junior Miranda Besse also took home a silver medal in Web Design.

Two Old Colony departments made complete medal sweeps (gold, silver and bronze) at the district competition. All three competitors in CNC Technican division—Silva, Soucy and bronze medalist, senior Evan Capozzi, medaled in the district competition.

All electronics students who competed—Flannery, Barnes, and bronze medalist Tanner Safford—medaled in the competition as well.

Several students from Old Colony also took home a new award from SkillsUSA; the “Perfect Score” award.

This year, a a third “tiebreaker” test quizzed students on Occupational Safety and and Health Administration (OSHA) standards as well.  To receive the Perfect Score award, students had to score a perfect score on at least one of the examinations.

Five Old Colony students rose to the top: Katherine Ashley, Maxwell Smith, Rebecca Dawicki, Thomas Dawicki and senior Elana Sargent (Carpentry).

Of winning the award, Rebecca Dawicki said, “It represents the remarkable conclusion of my high school experience.  It’s fitting that my last year participating in SkillsUSA has provided me with numerous memories that I will always cherish.  With my gold medal and perfect score, I’m ending my senior year with a bang.”

Dawicki’s brother Thomas added, “The perfect score medal just assures me that I had learned everything I could at Old Colony.”

Zachary McMahon is a sophomore student at Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School.