KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Students from Maine high schools and college technical education programs won the nation’s highest awards Wednesday evening at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. Industry leaders representing more than 1,100 businesses, corporations, trade associations and unions recognized the students for their demonstrated excellence in 91 hands-on occupational and leadership contests, such as robotics, criminal justice, aviation maintenance and public speaking.

“Over 5,000 students from every state in the nation came to compete in the SkillsUSA Championships this week,” said SkillsUSA executive director Tim Lawrence. “This is the SkillsUSA partnership at its best. Students, instructors and industries are working together to ensure America has a skilled work force and every student excels. These students prove that career and technical education expands opportunities.”

All student winners received medallions. Many also received prizes such as tools of their trades and-or scholarships to further their careers and education. The SkillsUSA Championships is for high school and college students who are members of SkillsUSA.

SkillsUSA serves more than 300,000 students and instructors annually and has served more than 9.6 million members since its founding in 1965. The organization has 19,333 sections and 54 state and territorial associations.

Following are the medalists from Maine in alphabetical order by location of school or college:

Team A – Molly Cyr, Nicole Poirier, Amber Poirier; Capitol ATC (Augusta); High School Bronze medal in TechPrep-Science, Technology and Math.

Team A – Aaron Preo, Brandon Fowlie, Seth Cloutier; Capitol ATC (Augusta); High School Bronze medal in TechPrep-Law, Public Safety and Security.

Team A – Sarah Maciulavicius, Andrew Parece, Christopher Chase; Penobscot Job Corps (Bangor); College-Postsecondary Bronze medal in TechPrep-Manufacturing.

Corinne Finley of Bangor, Penobscot Job Corps, College-Postsecondary Bronze Medal in Medical Math.

Frederick Asam of Presque Isle, Caribou Regional Applied Tech Center, College-Postsecondary Gold Medal in Action Skills.

Following are recipients of Skill Point Certificates:

Corey Seelye of Bangor, Penobscot Job Corps, Employment Application Process.

Megan Zambo of Hampden, United Technologies Center (Bangor), Automotive Refinishing Technology.

Team A – Alan P Scherger, Thomas McClellan; Hancock County Tech Center (Ellsworth); Web Design.

Samantha Eaton of Ellsworth, Hancock County Tech Center (Ellsworth), Food and Beverage Service.

Lana Wheeler of West Minot, Oxford Hills Technical School (Norway), Advertising Design.

Jeremiah Sjoberg of Washburn, Presque Isle Regional Vocational Center (Presque Isle), Photography.

Tory Stark of Knox, Waldo County Technical Center (Waldo), Computer Maintenance Technology.

Nick Stinson of Waterville, Mid-Maine Technical Center (Waterville), Firefighting.

Trevor Tucker of Winslow, Mid-Maine Technical Center (Waterville), Collision Repair Technology.