Raiders take top honors at NC SkillsUSA Competition

“Richmond County is a great example of what I would consider a microcosm of the opportunities that students should have in each of our public high schools.”

Trey Michael, NC DPI Senior Director for CTE

GREENSBORO, NC – Three Richmond County Schools students took top honors during the 2023 North Carolina SkillsUSA Conference at the Greensboro Convention Center Complex, held April 18-20.

Bethzaria Zapata, a junior, won first place in the Job Skills Demonstration (Open) competition, Naaman Perakis, a senior, won second place in the Drone Pilot competition, and Oscar Rodriguez, a junior, won third place in the Firefighter Intermediate skills competition.

The three winners were part of a 20-student Raider team that competed in the annual event that was hosted by the North Carolina Department of Instruction’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) and brought together thousands of students and staff from across the state to compete in dozens of events in hopes of representing the state at the national competition that will be held in late June in Atlanta.

Zapata is currently taking a machining class at Richmond Community College, where she learned her skills as part of the dual-enrollment program between RCC and Richmond Senior. In the open division, she could pick any skill to demonstrate to judges in a timed event.

With a quiet, calm personality, she said she was shocked to be in the top five when her name was called to approach the stage to get lined up to receive an award. At the side of the stage, SkillsUSA staff lined up the students from fifth to first place. After a few minutes, Zapata was standing at the end of the line and was told she had won first place.

“I was in shock,” she said right after receiving her plaque and medal. “I couldn’t believe the judges selected me over everyone else.”

What does one do after getting gold? Of course, call home to her mother and let her know she’s going on to the next level of competition.

“I get to represent all of Richmond County and my high school at Nationals.  How cool is that?” she said. “I am so proud of all our team. We came up here and did our best.”

Filix Guinn, a junior at Richmond Senior High School, inspects a fuel pump during the 2023 North Carolina SkillsUSA Conference at the Greensboro Convention Center Complex, held April 18-20. Richmond Senior sent 20 students to the conference to compete against more than 2,400 students from across the state.

Zapata said she hopes to return next year and bring back more gold for Richmond Senior.

Perakis was also surprised his name was called to the stage. It was an unexpected accolade for him.

“I am so excited to receive this award,” he said. “I don’t have my drone pilot license yet, and I went up against people who have been doing this for a couple of years and with their license. Nothing wrong with second place.”

Perakis said he’s new to flying drones but hopes to continue his education at RCC with the Electric Utility Substation and Relay Technology curriculum.

“Drones play a huge role in technology today,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for a very short time, but who knows, this could be the beginning of something big for me.”

Rodriguez is another quiet professional who stood back and watched the firefighting competition as students laughed and talked amongst themselves. The four-person Raider firefighting team knew they had the experience to compete at a high level but said taking one of the top spots might be difficult.

“Some of these teams train all year just for this competition,” said Victor McCaskill, the school’s firefighter technology teacher. “Our students spend their free time at night and on weekends volunteering at local fire departments. It doesn’t matter what award they get; they are already heroes because they serve their communities.”

Rodriguez volunteers at the Cordova Fire Department, and his can-do attitude took him to the podium for a well-deserved third-place finish.

“I have always been interested in being a firefighter,” he said. “Taking my first class at the high school got me hooked. Some friends in class told me about volunteering at a local fire department, and I’ve been in love with it ever since.”

Wendall Sessoms, the Richmond Senior’s Law and Order and drone technology teacher, said he wasn’t surprised to see multiple wins during the competition.

“These students put a lot of hard work into preparing for this week,” he said after the ceremony. “They take this seriously, and it showed today. These students gave up their evenings and weekends to ensure they were ready to compete at this level.”

Sessoms said he would always see the firefighting students outside running hoses after classes.

“It just shows the dedication we have at the high school,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s CTE, Beta Club, or sports; our students always come prepared to compete and show the best of the county.”

At the helm in North Carolina is Trey Michael, the state’s senior director for CTE. He spent the three days walking around talking with students and staff as he observed a full day of activities. One event he observed was the drone competition as Richmond Raider Naaman Perakis took to the outdoor course in the shadows of the fieldhouse.

“These students are doing great things here this week,” Michael said. “We have so many activities going on like career development, leadership development, and of course, competing in all the great activities like the drones and firefighters we have outside here today.”

Michael said the CTE programs allow students to explore a wide range of options for their future – inside and outside the classroom. By participating in CTE at Richmond Senior, students can start a career path they are passionate about, all while earning valuable experiences and college credits.

“CTE has all kinds of really interesting opportunities in skilled trades that students need to be aware of about their future career opportunities,” Michael said. “Today is the backbone of all the things that we do.”

That backbone is what sets Richmond County Schools above the rest.

“Richmond County is a great example of what I would consider a microcosm of the opportunities that students should have in each of our public high schools,” he said. “There are so many wonderful things happening in Richmond County, I think people need to know about it, and they’re doing great things. They’ve got people that care, people that are engaged. They have people like Greg [Norton] and Jason [Perakis] that are really invested in their students. I think that’s a really special thing.”

Jordan Wilson, a senior at Richmond Senior High School, works on an electrical board diagnosis during the 2023 North Carolina SkillsUSA Conference at the Greensboro Convention Center Complex, held April 18-20. Richmond Senior sent 20 students to the conference to compete against more than 2,400 students from across the state.

Michael said the CTE program in Richmond County embraces every single opportunity.

“They’re what every district in North Carolina should be offering to their students,” he said. “They have developed relationships with multiple community and technical colleges and with local businesses to give every opportunity for their students to succeed.”

Over the past few decades, the national push for a four-year college education for students has been a platform for many local, state, and national leaders.

Michael and Jeff James, the Richmond Senior automotive instructor, both said that a four-year education isn’t for everyone, and CTE fills that gap to ensure students have a path of success after high school.

“There are so many great opportunities at Richmond,” James said. “So many students don’t even realize what we offer within the CTE program. I’ve had students come up to me and tell me they didn’t even realize we offer automotive classes at the high school.”

James and all the Richmond CTE advisors spent the day encouraging all Raiders to do their best and keep their spirits up during the competition. From crime scene investigation to welding, Sessoms, James, McCaskill, and Joy Kennedy, the school’s agriculture teacher, were busy ensuring all 20 students had the Raider support behind them as they went head-to-head against the best of North Carolina.

“At the end of the day, it’s not about the awards but about the experience of competing at this level,” James said. “We want our students to walk away from this week knowing they did their best and to be proud of their accomplishments knowing they represented an entire county. As teachers, we are proud of what they have done to reach this point. They had put in long hours back home getting ready for this competition, and that preparation was evident watching them compete. We couldn’t be more proud of them, and we are ready to return next year and bring home more medals.”

Kennedy, a SkillsUSA advisor for the school district, said the students’ hard work and their desire to be the best in their area represented the entire county with the poise that comes with being a Richmond Raider.

“I am so proud of the hard work and time these students have put into their competition areas,” she said. “The North Carolina SkillsUSA Conference is their time to shine. The experience they gain is invaluable.”

At the end of the week, Michael said he hoped the students better understood the opportunities out there for them after graduation.

“We want them to be able to contribute to their local economy and help grow and improve their communities,” Michael said. “Today, we have the future of our state and country right here at the SkillsUSA Conference in Greensboro. I couldn’t be more excited about the future of our students. Look around, and you see leaders who will be replacing our generation and taking North Carolina into the future.”