Press Release

Metropolitan Education District 760 Hillsdale Ave San Jose, CA 95136 April 18, 2008

Contact: Michelle Alaimo Communication Specialist (408) 723-6464 malaimo@metroed.net

Nine CCOC Students Named Best in the State at SkillsUSA Competition

SkillsUSA named nine Central County Occupational Center (CCOC) students Gold medal winners at its State Competition held April 10-13 in Fresno. Five of the nine will move onto the SkillsUSA competition in Kansas City in June.

Five other students from CCOC took home the silver and seven students earned a bronze medal. This is the second year in a row that Jeff Kershaw, from Oak Grove High School, won the gold medal in the field and Heating & Air Conditioning (HVAC). In addition to the gold, Kershaw and Diesel Technology Gold medal winner, Nick Clausen, from Leland High School each won a $30,000 scholarship to Wyotech University. Kershaw also won a scholarship last year and now has $40,000 total in scholarships to Wyotech.

Students competed in the fields of HVAC, HVAC-Job Skill Demo, Diesel Technology, Welding-Tig, Forensics, Collision Refinishing, Collision Repair, and Residential Wiring.

Others who took home medals from the state competition include Gold medal winners, Kevin Bueno, from Leland High School, for HVAC-Job Skill Demonstration; Ashley Andrews, from Broadway High School, for Forensics; Danielle Pelletiere, from Branham High School, for Forensics, Paloma Suarez, from Willow Glen High School for Forensics; Arturo Amador, from Pioneer High School for Collision Refinishing; adult student Jake Haverty, for Collision Repair, and Derek Forbes, from Leigh High School, in Residential Wiring.

Silver medal winners are: Mario Mazzella, from Santa Teresa High School in HVAC; Basil Hernandez, from Santa Teresa High School, in Job Skill Demo A; Did Bebelekova, from Lincoln Plus, for Forensics; Travis Brothers, from Leigh High School, for Forensics; Rachel Lopez, from Santa Teresa High School, for Forensics.

Bronze medal winners are: adult student Jeffrey Tan, for HVAC; Derek Dellinger, from Leigh High School for HVAC; adult student, Noel Andrade, in Diesel Technology; Arthur Wright, from Oak Grove High School for Diesel Technology;

SkillsUSA is a national organization for career-technical education students within trade, technical, industrial and health occupations. Annual competitions are held to encourage students to challenge themselves within their chosen technical careers.

CCOC, a unit of MetroED, provides career-technical education for high school students in six districts: Campbell Union High School District, East Side Union High School District, Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District, Milpitas Unified School District, San Jose Unified School District, and Santa Clara Unified School District. Students attend CCOC for half of their school day and the other half they attend their home high school.

A complete list of CCOC SkillsUSA state winners is available upon request from Michelle Alaimo at 408-723-6464 or malaimo@metroed.net.

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MetroED is the largest career-oriented educational organization in Santa Clara County, comprised of high school and adult occupational, academic and community programs.

MetroED annually provides 50,000 diverse students with the skills to help them be productive, income-earning and tax-paying contributors to Silicon Valley.