The SkillsUSA Council hosted its first districts competition since COVID-19 at Agricultural Hall in Allentown Feb. 2. The following students from Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School were honored for their achievements. Those placing first will be competing at the state competition in Hershey April 6-8.

• Cole Taschler - Northampton Area High School, grade 12, second place, automotive maintenance and light repair

• Nathaniel Wolfe - NAHS, grade 12, third place, automotive maintenance and light repair

• Joseph Sheats - NAHS, grade 12, first place, automotive service tech

• Aiden Weaver - NAHS, grade 11, second place, criminal justice

• Jeremy Deily - NAHS, grade 12, second place, fire fighting demonstration

• Angelina Curto - NAHS, grade 12, third place, health knowledge bowl (team of four)

• Abigail Schreck - NAHS, grade 12, third place, health knowledge bowl (team of four)

• Dennis Werkheiser - NAHS, grade 12, second place, HVAC and refrigeration

• Bryce Torres - NAHS, grade 11, third place, industrial motor control

• Rebecca Coleman - NAHS, grade 12, third place, job skill demo (not program specific), building trades

• Timothy Csanadi - NAHS, grade 12, third place, prepared speech

• Gabriel Horn - NAHS, grade 11, first place, precision machining tech

• Charles Breidenbach - NAHS, grade 12, first place, TeamWorks (team of four)

• Zach Rickert - NAHS, grade 11, first place, Teamworks (team of four)

• Noah Wolfel - NAHS, grade 12, first place, Teamworks (team of four)

• Joshua Maritch - NAHS, grade 12, second place, web design (team of two)

• Meghan Scherer - Freedom High School, grade 12, first place, action skills

• Jack Pierce - Liberty High School, grade 12, second place, automotive service tech

• Jaelyn Santiago - FHS, grade 12, first place, basic health care skills

• Joseph Rivera - LHS, grade 10, second place, building construction

• Amanda Werkheiser - FHS, grade 12, second place, culinary arts 3

• Gregory Joseph - LHS, grade 12, third place, culinary arts 2

• Anthony Lin - LHS, grade 12, first place, customer service

• Janell Smith - FHS, grade 12, second place, aesthetics

• Jazmine Rodriguez - FHS, grade 12, first place, extemporaneous speaking

• Christopher Frey - Saucon Valley High School, grade 12, first place, fire fighting demonstration

• Mariah Ortiz - LHS, grade 10, third place, first aid/CPR

• Chase Hendrickson - FHS, grade 12, third place, health knowledge bowl (team of four)

• Emma Wagner - FHS, grade 12, third place, health knowledge bowl (team of four)

• Joseph Moser - SVHS, grade 12, third place, Internetworking

• Thomas Prostko - FHS, grade 12, third place, job skill demo A (program specific)

• Sophia Walker - FHS, grade 11, first place, medical math

• Tatiana Dos Santos - FHS, grade 11, third place, medical math

• Koralyz Colon - LHS, grade 11, second place, nail care

• Daniel Millhouse - LHS, grade 12, first place, plumbing

• Aiden Swenor - FHS, grade 11, first place, program cover

• Kaylee Dougherty - FHS, grade 10, first place, restaurant service

• Nalysha Rivera - FHS, grade 12, third place, restaurant service

• Cody Trauger - LHS, grade 12, first place, Teamworks (team of four)

• Isaiah Fernandez - LHS, grade 12, second place, technical computer applications

• Yandel Gonzalez - FHS, grade 12, first place, web design (team of two)

• Cameron Vaughn - FHS, grade 11, first place, web design (team of two)

• Gabrielle Miller - SVHS, grade 12, second place, web design (team of two)

The Pennsylvania ProStart Invitational, held each winter, is the state’s qualifier for the national competition. It was held Feb. 22-23 at Penn State. ProStart schools across the state are invited to send teams of two to five students to compete in the culinary and management events. The first-place winning team in each division moves on to the national competition.

Culinary teams have 60 minutes to prepare a three-course meal using only two butane burners, while also competing in knife skills and poultry fabrication. Each student was responsible for a component of the three-course meal.

Management teams develop an original restaurant concept and apply critical thinking skills to challenges managers face in day-to-day operations.

The BAVTS concept was a tropical food truck named Tiki’s Paradise.

The third-place BAVTS management team was composed of Bethany Gable, NAHS grade 12; Nalysha Rivera (team captain), LHS, grade 12; Skye Burton, LHS, grade 12; and Isaac Ortega, FHS, grade 11

The second-place BAVTS culinary arts team includes Treyvon Fitzpatrick, grade 12, FHS, team captain; Greg Joseph, grade 12, LHS, who made chili lime shrimp on a bed of pineapple salsa with thin cucumbers; Joslyn Buss, grade 12, LHS, who made Jamaican jerk chicken with a mango chutney; Josiah Corea, grade 12, LHS, who made coconut confetti rice with a chive creme fraiche; and Joseph DeDona, grade 12, FHS, who made a banana fritter with flambe bananas, salted caramel sauce and a lemon thyme cream cheese.