On April 28th, Austin Bailey, a Heavy Equipment and Ithaca High School student, won gold at the SkillsUSA NYS Competition. This competition was located at the Fairgrounds in Syracuse, NY with 33 Career and Tech students in attendance. Bailey took center stage at the podium in the category of small engine service basics as his classmates cheered him on. When asked what it was like hearing his name being called, Bailey responded, “Hearing my name being called was pretty crazy. When the announcers call each place and it gets closer to first you lower your expectations because your chances are slimmer. When I heard my name being called I was put into a daze. My school jumped up clapping and screaming. We were so excited!” To prepare for the competition, Bailey says he did a lot of studying. In class, he would tear down small engines then put them back together, sometimes helping his classmates too. At competition, Bailey's challenge consisted of him finding different parts from an engine manual and labeling them correctly. He had to identify tools, parts, voltmeter items and perform a compression test. Lastly, he had to complete a job application and interview. “Through this experience I learned a lot,” says Bailey, “I enjoyed the competition and am excited for next year! It is a fun experience and I highly recommend it.” TST BOCES congratulates Bailey on his win and all of the hard work he put in throughout this competition. From regionals to states, he continued to stay focused, have a positive attitude and spent hours committing to getting better at his trade. Amazing work!
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