While most teenagers were winding down for summer by the end of June 2014, the talented students of Bethlehem Area Vocational Technical School were working as hard as ever to prepare for their upcoming competition.

The SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Conference, which took place in June, brought the students to Kansas City, Mo., to compete against almost 6,000 other students representing vocational schools from across the nation in more than 100 different areas of trade, like job interview skills, masonry and the culinary arts. The event is known nationally, with a multi-million dollar price tag and a space occupancy equivalent to 16 football fields.

Much like high school sports competitions, Skills USA begins at the local level, with small placing rounds within the school. Next, the winners move on to the district level of the competition, then the state level, and finally onto the national level in Kansas City.

Despite the steep competition, BAVTS had three groups place third, fourth and seventh in the nation in their respective areas.

Placing seventh in the career pathways section of the competition was the industrial engineering group, made up of Northampton senior Larry Eberts III, Saucon Valley senior Ty Druckenmiller, and Liberty graduate Cheyenne Smith. Their presentation consisted of a fundraiser, in which the students would create custom chairs to sell to the public. Eberts recalls the initial discomfort he experienced when telling other contestants he was from Pennsylvania, which has evidently gotten a poor reputation for being filled with "city folks who think they're better than others." However, by the end of the competition, Eberts and the other BAVTS students had not only proven their worth through their skills, but also through their professional and friendly attitudes.

Taking fourth in the competition was Freedom graduate Brandon Kutos. Kutos was entered into the plumbing section of Skills, and had to demonstrate his knowledge of plumbing and apply it to a hands-on demonstration.

The highest placing group Bethlehem Vo-Tech entered into SkillsUSA was in the community service sector of the competition, and placed third. The group consisted of Freedom graduate Brittany Sloss, Northampton junior Amanda Strohl and Saucon graduate Andrew Vinson. The group presented a painting called, "Inclusion in Bloom," which focused on people with mental and physical disabilities and its impact.

The students all describe the event as a learning experience, because they were all able to meet other students from all over the nation as well as people who work in their area of interest. The students were able to learn new business techniques and view the other presentations and demonstrations that competitors from other states had prepared. SkillsUSA and its benefits are best summed up by Northampton junior Amanda Strohl who says, "If you get the chance to go, make sure you take advantage of it."

Be sure to check out Bethlehem Vo-tech's Open House Oct. 22, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Current students, as well as people from the community, are all invited to meet with the teachers and see students showcase their talents with BAVTS' 30+ programs, as well as cooking demonstrations, children's activities and refreshments.