Photo courtesy of Albion Central School

ALBION – Albion student Mariah Plain is pictured with Cathy Fox, president of the American Legion Auxiliary in Orleans County President and Empire Girls State Chairperson.

Mariah, a high school junior, has been accepted to Empire Girls State. The American Legion Auxiliary sponsors Girls State, which will take place at Brockport State College from June 30 to July 6.

Girls State is open to juniors in the top third of their class. It is an experiential “government-in-learning” program that helps young women develop leadership skills as they learn about ideals and principles of government. Students participate in a variety of Americanism activities including flag raising/lowering ceremonies and learning proper flag etiquette.

Mariah is hoping to get into the Air Force Academy next year.

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Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

Provided photo: Scott Brauer has been a SkillsUSA advisor for 28 years.

A huge and much deserved congratulations to Orleans/Niagara BOCES’ Project Based Engineering teacher, Scott Brauer, who has been named the SkillsUSA New York Area 1 Advisor of the Year.

SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce.

Brauer teaches at the Niagara Career and Technical Education Center. His SkillsUSA journey began when he was a junior in high school and attended BOCES. He says being a member of SkillsUSA gave him direction, purpose and focus. It is one of the reasons he decided to become a career and technical education teacher at the same center he attended and become a SkillsUSA advisor himself.

“I just want others to experience what I was able to experience as a student,” he said. “SkillsUSA is life changing!”

Brauer has been a SkillsUSA advisor for 28 years. He has been the lead advisor at the Niagara Career and Technical Education Center for the past 12 years and believes in order to be a great advisor you have to become involved through ardent practice, gathering of information and networking.

He trains others not to do things for the young people, but to assist them on their journey. He coordinates all the competitions that the center participates in at the regional, state and national levels. He is also the contest chair for Advanced Manufacturing Technology, CNC and Machining contests at the regional level. His class has been recognized by the NYS Education Department as a Top Career and Technical Education Program in New York State.

He was nominated by his peers across the Area 1 division. One nominator says, “Young people are always the center of Scott’s decisions and plans. He is forever mindful of any action’s impact on the individual or the group. He is always moving forward, taking others with him into the future and the world beyond his classroom.”

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Press Release, GCC

Provided photo from GCC: Patti and John Michalak of Batavia

BATAVIA – Members of the Genesee Community College Foundation and the community will gather at GCC’s Batavia Campus at 4 p.m. on March 27 to induct the first married couple into GCC’s Alumni Hall of Fame.

John A. and Patti A. Michalak will be honored for their dedication and support of their alma mater. The event is in the Student Success Center, Room G200

Patti A. (Mancuso) Michalak GCC class of ’70, and passionate equestrian met the love of her life at GCC in 1969, as she worked on her Secretarial Science AS degree. A year later, she married John Michalak. Patti stayed home and raised the couple’s three children, Timothy, Tamara and John Andrew II, then returned to the work force as a teacher aide and eventually a teaching assistant at BOCES (Boards of Cooperative Educational Services).

She also operated her own businesses, The One Stop Party Shop and Bridal Fantasies, both located in The Liberty Square Plaza in Batavia. Most recently, Patti was elected councilwoman for the Board in the Town of Batavia in 2006 and she continues to serve in that role today.

John A. Michalak, GCC class of ’71, graduated from Oakfield-Alabama High School and served in the United States Army from 1966-1968 and was stationed in Vietnam from 1967-1968. He was awarded the Commendation Medal along with several other awards.

After graduation from GCC, John was appointed as the first executive director of the Batavia Youth Bureau, responsible for programs and activities for the city’s youth and summer parks programs. He later became a police officer in the Batavia Police Department. He graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigations Academy in 1992 and worked as a detective, and was eventually promoted to Sergeant. In 2003, John retired after 32 years of service.

Today, John is a security officer for the towns of Batavia, Elba and occasionally Oakfield. He also prepares all of the necessary work for jury trials in local justice courts.

Through the many years, John and Patti have poured countless hours into supporting GCC through many initiatives, among them Homecoming events, Cougar Crawls, Fall Fests, the Car Cruise, Trek the Trails. They encourage many other GCC alumni to support their alma mater, including their own children. They are without a doubt, extraordinary and well-deserved inductees for the College’s Alumni Hall of Fame.

Each year, candidates are nominated by friends, family, colleagues or other associates for their impactful contributions to their profession and distinguished service to the community and/or Genesee Community College. The GCC Alumni Hall of Fame, which is located on the second floor of the Conable Technology Building, boasts honorees from a wide variety of industries and backgrounds.

The complete list of Hall of Fame members is available by clicking here.

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Photos courtesy of Orleans/Niagara BOCES

MEDINA – Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering teacher, Bill Rakonczay, is proud to announce the SkillsUSA winners from his class competition at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center.

The SkillsUSA overall Team winners include, from left: 3rd place: Matt Borowriak (Lockport) and Maddison Bale (Medina). Second place winners include Skyler Munn (Lyndonville) and Cal Stinson (Lyndonville). The 1st place team includes Luke Smeal (Lockport) and Canyon Wood (Royalton-Hartland).

The junior SkillsUSA Mill Competition winners include: 1st place, Caleb Boyce from Medina; 2nd place, Cal Stinson from Lyndonville; and 3rd place, Canyon Wood from Royalton-Hartland.

The junior SkillsUSA Lathe Competition winners include: 1st Place, Luke Smeal (Lockport); 2nd place, Skyler Munn (Lyndonville); and 3rd Place, Matt Borowiak (Lockport).

First place winners will move on to the regional competition at Alfred State University later this month.

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