Zachary Strong of West Windsor received a bronze medal in the building maintenance competition at the SkillsUSA Championships held in Kansas City, Missouri, in June. The competition was part of the SkillsUSA 49th annual National Leadership and Skills Conference, a showcase of career and technical education students. More than 5,900 students competed in 98 different trade, technical, and leadership areas.
Strong was one of 21 students who participated in the six-hour long competition. Some of Strong’s tasks included stripping, buffing, and waxing 25 square feet of floor space. He also had to demonstrate the ability to clean carpeting, an office, and a restroom. The event also included a mock interview and role play scenario with a dissatisfied client. The competitions were run with the help of industry, trade associations, and labor organizations.
A 2012 graduate of High School North, he completed the Landscape, Maintenance, and Design program at Mercer County Technical Schools’ Arthur R. Sypek Center in June. “We are very proud of Zach’s accomplishments,” says Ed Birdsall, one of his instructors. “He showed extreme dedication to the trade and exceptional leadership skills.”
“SkillsUSA was an experience of a lifetime,” says Strong. “To see all the different types of competitions and to see how hard all the kids worked was really eye-opening. It was an absolute honor to be able to participate in this once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Strong, currently employed as a manager at Yogurtland in Hamilton Square, intends to study business this fall at Mercer Community College. For more information about programs offered at Mercer County Technical Schools, contact Lori Perlow by E-mail at LPerlow@mcts.edu or call 609-570-3400.
