More than 400 Lehigh Valley high school students competed in 54 hands-on skill and leadership competitions recently during a SkillsUSA Showcase of Skills. The event provided opportunity for some talented technical and career education students to be judged on their skills.

The participants from Whitehall High School also attend Lehigh Career & Technical Institute in Schnecksville.

WHS students who won gold medals were: print technology student Hunter White, competing in the graphic communications competition; electro-mechanical student Reno Honzo-Vassa, competing in the industrial motor control category; and web design student Mark Cole, competing in the web design team competition with Southern Lehigh High School student Alex Heffelfinger.

District gold medal winners advance to state and national competitions.

WHS students who were warded silver medals were: law enforcement student Timothy Madera, competing in the criminal justice category; Melissa Jimenez and Tracy Pena, health occupations students competing on a team with Northwestern Lehigh High School student Tyler Leisher and Dieruff High School student Gabriel Martinez in the health knowledge bowl; and culinary arts student Jasmine Kutzura, competing in the restaurant services category.

Winning a bronze medal was culinary arts student Nicole Lopez, competing in the culinary arts category.

More than $60,000 in scholarships were awarded to the medalists in nine competitions.

Participating students attend LCTI, Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School, Career Institute of Technology, Colonial Academy, Monroe Career & Technical Institute and Upper Bucks County Technical School.

Following the day of competition, an awards ceremony was held in the evening at Parkland High School, attended by the students and their families. The gold medal winners will go on the represent District 11 at a state competition in Hershey in April.

SkillsUSA Council is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create a world-class workforce by developing partnerships among the business community and local career and technical schools.