This past weekend hundreds competed at SkillsUSA in Bangor. At the Friday night reception, Ellsworth Superintendent Amy Boles and Lamoine Consolidated School Teacher Miranda Engstrom received awards! Amy Boles was honored with the Cornerstone Award and Miranda Engstrom from Lamoine Consolidated was awarded with the Middle School Advisor of the Year Award!

Photo Meghan Stubbs
Photo Meghan Stubbs
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The following was read about Amy Boles, the former Director of Hancock County Technical Center, and now Superintendent of the Ellsworth School Department.

'The SkillsUSA Cornerstone Award recognizes the cooperative relationships that have been established over the years between local school administrators and SkillsUSA chapters. The success of each chapter is reliant on the collective efforts of many dedicated school administrators who have unselfishly committed their professional and civic talents in support of our members.

This year’s nominee has consistently demonstrated their conscientiousness and genuine commitment to the education of students and  has worked tirelessly to support their students and their local SkillsUSA Chapter. She encourages her staff to provide these life changing experiences to their students by competing at SkillsUSA Maine events and in many instances their students have medaled and moved on to the SkillsUSA National Competition. She works day and night to help advisors and students fundraise to ensure that students have the financial support to attend the national competitions without it being a financial burden to the students. She is a true cheerleader and supporter of her students and staff. She makes sure that the sending school administrators and staff are aware of their students who are participating and encourages them to attend and witness the magic and success that SkillsUSA Maine brings to all students.

A student from her school wrote: “I entered the SkillsUSA competition last year very much out of my comfort zone. Our director was always there with a smile or an encouraging word. My contest is not an easy competition for a student who has spent most of her high school life in the shadows. Her trust in me that I could do it was a big factor to my success in the competition. She  was there the day I competed, walking around and touching base with students. Just seeing her and knowing she was there was all the support I needed to step in that room and do my best. I decided to continue my membership in SkillsUSA by becoming a state officer and giving my all to the organization. I am lucky to have her as a leadership figure to show me how to open myself up, how to be completely committed and how to be a strong student leader.”

Photo Meghan Stubbs
Photo Meghan Stubbs
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The following was read about Miranda Engstrom, the  SkillsUSA Maine Middle School Advisor of the Year, who teaches at the Lamoine Consolidated School

The SkillsUSA Maine Middle School Advisor of the Year is awarded to an individual that has been nominated by their peers because they have gone above and beyond at their local chapter. Tonight, we celebrate a very special individual that truly embodies what SkillsUSA is about.  This person saw the value of being a middle school chapter when we first started bringing middle school onboard and was our first official middle school chapter.  Because of her time and commitment, she has seen the growth of her students through the development of professionalism and work ethic in her students.  Because of the excitement their local chapter has grown from 16 the first year to 46 this year.

Thanks to Meghan Stubbs for the photos and the write-up. We will have a list of award winners from Hancock County Technical Center and the Lamoine Consolidated School on Monday (hopefully).

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