BANGOR, Maine — Every year, students who attend technical high schools in Maine get the chance to show off their skills in local competitions. The winners of those events then move on to the state competition, which was held Friday in Bangor.
The SkillsUSA event was held at the United Technologies Center and Eastern Maine Community College. Students showed off their skills and talents in fields such as baking, welding, construction, and automotive.
Devyn Hussey, a senior at Sanford Regional Technical Center, was one of the students competing in the customer service category.
"I had three judges, and all of them had different scenarios. One of them had a broken tennis racket, and I had to exchange it for a new one with them. I had to interact with them on how I would handle that situation," Hussey said.
Hussey also shared what she has learned from competing.
"I learned that it's how you represent yourself, so if you come in confident then you're going to do well. If you doubt yourself one bit, then that's the only thing you're going to be thinking about," Hussey said.
Griffin Werner, a senior at George Stevens Academy and Hancock County Technical Center, competed in the sculpture welding event. He welded a sculpture of a tree next to a swamp for the competition.
"It took a very long time, almost 200 hours to make that one tree. ... Everything [used] I either pulled from the dumpster or pulled from other stuff I salvaged from a construction site," Werner said.
Lucille Utgard, a senior at Sanford Regional Technical Center, is the secretary of the State of Maine Officer Team for the event.
"Our job is to make sure everybody gets to their place safely and on time, make sure that people feel confident in themselves and make sure that they're just ready and not freaking out," Utgard said.
Students in each category have the chance to win a gold, silver, or bronze medal. Students who win gold are eligible to move on to the national competition.
"I think it's about growing yourself, being able to say I got out there I had the guts to go show people what I got whether I fail or I succeed, I still went and did it," Utgard said.
The students will find out who moves on to the national competition in Atlanta, Georgia, during a live-streamed award ceremony on Mar. 30.
"It would mean quite a bit. It would be proof to my skills and really motivate me to keep moving forward with what I make," Werner said.