SkillsUSA puts service first

By Jennifer Grybowski
Turley Publications Reporter

STURBRIDGE - The Tantasqua Regional Technical High School (TRTHS) SkillsUSA Chapter participated in several community service projects during the SkillsUSA Fall Leadership Conference held Nov. 22-24 at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel in Marlborough.
The theme of this year’s conference was Charting the Course: Inspire, Challenge and Change, based on the late Senator Edward Kennedy’s legacy.
“Ted Kennedy was always a supporter of tech ed.,” TRTHS SkillsUSA Advisor Ray Vallee said. “It’s nice to have a tangible theme.”
In keeping with that theme, community service was a large part of the conference this year, and Tantasqua went above and beyond what SkillsUSA had required of each chapter.
When the chapter found out there would be a food drive at the conference, they jumped into action.
They held their own food drive at Stop N Shop prior to the conference, where they collected 830 items. They gave 400 items to the Tantasqua National Honor Society for their annual food drive and took 430 items with them to the conference. Those 430 items accounted for 25 percent of all the donations given at the conference.
“We were really proud when we heard we donated 25 percent of the food,” Jaime Spindle said.
“We’re a small chapter compared to other schools,” Jessica Shannon said.
For the first time at the fall conference, each chapter was invited to participate in an additional community service project. The chapters had 45 minutes to brainstorm, design and create a drawing on a ceramic tile, to include SkillsUSA and an environmental concept. One hundred conference participants were chosen to go to a site in Hopkinton and install the tiles on a patio.
“It allowed us to leave a footprint,” Vallee said.
Additionally during the conference, Michael Zollo participated in a community service project that required him and some of his comrades to paint a room for use by children.
“It is amazing how you can get 15 kids who don’t know each other to cooperate and get something done,” he said.
For the first time this year, the Tantasqua SkillsUSA team has partnered with the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism to raise funds for the support of autistic children and their families.
“Last year we made a commitment but weren’t able to fulfill it because they were a new chapter,” Chloe Ferrarone said.
But they didn’t let that stop them this year. In fact, the Tantasqua chapter was ahead of the game. Normally, chapters presented their funds at the spring conference, but Tantasqua was determined to give something at the fall conference. So they held a car wash fundraiser at C&R Tire in October and made $288, which they presented to SkillsUSA Massachusetts Executive Director Karen E Ward. Ward in turn presented the check to Christopher Chirco, director of programming of the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation, who was a guest speaker at the fall conference.
“It felt good to present the check to someone directly from the Doug Flutie Foundation,” Ferrarone said. “Living in New England, Doug Flutie is more than just an NFL player. We’re going to keep giving. We’ve made a commitment to raise another $300 by April 1.”
Vallee said they are currently discussing fundraising ideas, but that anyone who is interested in contributing should contact him at valleer@tantasqua.org.
“We feel connected to the foundation because autism is a child’s affliction which affects their ability to socialize, learn and develop the skills necessary for quality learning and transition in to adult life…which are exactly the skills at the foundation of our mission,” Ward said. “SkillsUSA has also been touched by autism in a profound way, with several of our members having family member with autism, a board member with an autistic child and even some of our student members who are autistic themselves. Therefore, we feel it is a terrific fit for our members to engage in service to support an enterprise so close to our mission, vision and values.”
According to Ward, last year SkillsUSA chapters, alumni, board of directors, state officers and some business partners raised a total of $12,700 to support the foundations activities. Over the last three years, SkillsUSA Massachusetts has donated $47,000.
The following Tantasqua SkillsUSA officers attended the conference: President Chloe Ferrarone, a senior computer technology student from Brookfield; Vice President Michael Zollo, a senior allied health student from Brimfield; Ambassador Tyler Latour, a junior drafting/CAD student from Brookfield; Secretary Jamie Spidle, a senior manufacturing student from Sturbridge; Treasurer Edward Murphy, a senior electrical student from Rochdale; Reporter Jessica Shannon, a sophomore carpentry student from Brookfield; and Ambassador Elizabeth Treantafel, a junior culinary student from Leicester.