2 students from Orleans/Niagara BOCES receive high accolades
Alayna Trautman named New York State SkillsUSA President; Michael Huntington wins $5,000 scholarship
MEDINA – Two students at Orleans Career and Technical Education Center has received high recognition.
Alayna Trautman
Alayna Trautman, a junior at Royalton Hartland High School and an Electricity/Electronic student at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center, has been named the New York State SkillsUSA President.
Orleans/Niagara BOCES has not had a NYS president for many years. SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA helps each student to excel by empowering them to become world-class workers, leaders and responsible American citizens.
“This will be a great opportunity to be able to network with other state and national leaders,” Trautman said. “I really could not have done this without my great Electricity and Electronics teacher, Mr. Bill Leggett. He challenges me every day and is always there for me. I am also fortunate to have great classmates and wonderful SkillsUSA advisors: Mrs. Sarah Ivory and Mrs. Anne Carnahan who have supported me 100 percent and spent countless hours running me through mock interviews and helping me to settle my nerves.”
Trautman was chosen president of the New York State SkillsUSA organization for her dedication to the organization, excellent communication skills, her display of professionalism, her ability to work well as part of a team, her sense of responsibility and the way she represents Orleans/Niagara BOCES in different situations.
“A good leader communicates clearly, delegates, has a positive attitude, displays confidence and is creative,” she said.
At Orleans/Niagara BOCES, she was elected to serve as the chapter’s SkillsUSA Officer Vice President by her peers, teachers and principal. Trautman vows to be a great leader and live by the Skills USA Motto, “Preparing for Leadership in the World of Work.”
“We have all been impacted by the current health pandemic surrounding COVID-19, as the future workforce of America we must remain on track to fill the essential careers that support the American economy,” she said. “This crisis has quickly taught us the values of our SkillsUSA framework of being flexible, adaptable, organized, self-motivated, to communicate clearly, and most importantly computer and technology literacy. My goal as your New York State SkillsUSA president is to ensure that we are confident and prepared meet America’s need.”
When asked why career and technical education she says, “Career and technical education is a great opportunity to gain skills, make new friends and prepare for college and/or a career. It has been a great opportunity for me in helping me achieve my goals.”
Alayna is the daughter of Anedda and Don Trautman. Her future goals are to be gainfully employed in the skilled trades field of electricity. She is exploring attending a two-year technical school or a four-year university after graduation next year. Her ultimate goal is to own her own contracting company.
She has been active with the American Legion Post #1593 for 16 years and Girls Scouts Troop #70257 for the past 11 years.
In figure skating, she has represented New York State in the State Games of America in both 2017 and 2019, and medaled at the NYS Empire State Games every year since 2015.
Michael Huntington
Michael Huntington, a Building Trades student at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center, has been awarded a $5,000 scholarship from the Construction Exchange of Buffalo and Western New York.
The Construction Exchange is a not-for-profit organization that has served the local construction industry since 1981 and is the largest construction association in Western New York.
Michael, a senior from Royalton-Hartland, will be attending Alfred State College this fall to get his associate’s degree in Building and Construction. After Alfred, he hopes to work for a construction or development company building homes. He will also decide if he will continue on to complete the four-year program in Construction Management while working in the field. His long-term goal is to build his own business designing and building custom homes.
His Building Trades teacher Matt Anastasi says, “I am so proud of Mike and this is incredible news from our new partners at the Construction Exchange. wish him continued success in all his future endeavors.”
Michael’s mother Nicole Huntington said. “We are so incredibly proud of Michael. Mr. Anastasi has been fantastic and I am certainly confident in saying that he is Michael’s favorite teacher.”
Michael also recently took home a silver medal at the Regional SkillsUSA competition in Carpentry.
