After an action-packed day of demonstrating their technical skills and leadership while competing against students from across the region during the 2026 SkillsUSA Regional Competition, 103 young professionals from the Ulster BOCES Career Academies at iPark 87 took to the stage to accept medals.

The regional competition, held Saturday, February 28 in Valhalla, NY, featured timed contests in trade, leadership, and community service skills. Ulster BOCES competitors joined hundreds of students from Region IV to showcase their knowledge and abilities in 38 work-based categories, including Prepared Speech, Culinary Arts, Collision Repair Technology, CNC Milling, and Automated Manufacturing.

The Ulster BOCES delegation secured an impressive 50 medals, including 8 first-place, 23 second-place, and 19 third-place finishes across 25 different categories. In addition, Cameren Thibault-Edmonds, a young professional from the Highland Central School District, was elected New York SkillsUSA Area IV Vice President and National Delegate.

SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers, and industry partners working together to ensure the nation has a highly skilled workforce. With more than 300,000 members nationwide, the organization promotes technical expertise, workplace skills, and leadership development.

Many of these competitors will advance to the New York State SkillsUSA Competition in Syracuse later this spring, with hopes of qualifying for the National SkillsUSA Competition in Atlanta at the end of the school year.

Congratulations to all of our young professionals for representing Ulster BOCES with excellence and professionalism!
 

 

Specific Winners, listed by their home school district, include:

 

Ellenville Central School District

Miguel Caba II, 3rd Place, CNC 3 Axis Milling

Nisean Abney, 3rd Place, Information Technology Services

 

Highland Central School District

Makayla Petreshock, 1st Place, Cake Decorating

Parker McKenna, 3rd Place, Cosmetology Quiz Bowl

Zachary Long, 3rd Place, Quiz Bowl

Elizabeth Harris, 2nd Place, Related Technical Math

Connor Pickett, 2nd Place, Automated Manufacturing

Jair Hernandez Lopez, Information Technology Services

 

Kingston City School District

Grant Nam, 2nd Place, Action Skills Basic

Giana Lindhorst, 3rd Place, Cosmetology Quiz Bowl

Hayley Nace, 3rd Place, Esthetics

Genevieve Cozza, 2nd Place, Esthetics

Tobias Whitaker, 3rd Place, Extemporaneous Speaking

Christian Melecio, 3rd Place, Internetworking

Aliana Ramsay, 1st Place, Internetworking

Kirra Rogers, 2nd Place, Prepared Speech

Milly Santos Castellanos, 2nd Place, Quiz Bowl

Ashor Raal, 2nd Place, Additive Manufacturing

Adriel Villa, 2nd Place, Additive Manufacturing

Luis Bautista Sanchez, 1st Place, Additive Manufacturing

Evan Zheng, 2nd Place, Automated Manufacturing

Jacob Sauers, 1st Place, CNC 3 Axis Milling

James DeWitt, 2nd Place, CNC 3 Axis Milling

 

New Paltz Central School District

Trinity Place, 2nd Place, Cosmetology Quiz Bowl

Rayna Mabie, 2nd Place, Cosmetology Quiz Bowl

Elizabeth DelCotto, 2nd Place, Cosmetology Quiz Bowl

Kylie Bailin, 2nd Place, Cosmetology Quiz Bowl

Delaney Aube, 3rd Place, Esthetics

Hudson Powell, 2nd Place, Job Demo

Canaan Schmitt, 3rd Place, Quiz Bowl

Hayden Sackett, 3rd Place, Related Technical Math

Leyla Tranter, 2nd Place, T-Shirt Contest

 

Onteora Central School District

Juliana Talmadge, 2nd Place, Cosmetology Jr.

Lola Schilling, 3rd Place, Culinary Quiz Bowl

 

Rondout Valley Central School District

Hudson Rowan, 1st Place, Collision Repair Technology

 

Saugerties Central School District

Nadia Mahabir, 3rd Place, Cosmetology Quiz Bowl

Nolan Sassaman, 3rd Place, Culinary Quiz Bowl

Thomas Rutledge, 1st Place, Cybersecurity

Liliana Stracuzzi, 2nd Place, Esthetics

Yesenia Aguayo, 3rd Place, Job Interview

Ava Kruger, 2nd Place, Quiz Bowl

James Mosley, 2nd Place, Quiz Bowl

Kyle Bacote, 3rd Place, Quiz Bowl

Dylan Hartrum, 1st Place, Additive Manufacturing

 

Wallkill Central School District

Mikayla Carson, 3rd Place, Cosmetology Quiz Bowl

Lourdes Garcia, 3rd Place, Cosmetology Quiz Bowl

Emma Haughian, 2nd Place, Cosmetology Quiz Bowl

Taylor Dawes, 3rd Place, Culinary Quiz Bowl

Elliette Durso, 2nd Place, Quiz Bowl

Landon Baldwin, 2nd Place, Automated Manufacturing