Philosophy Statement

I believe that Career and Technical Education provides young people with the opportunity to bring something unique and special to the world, and that SkillsUSA is the catalyst that brings the skills of these young people to the surface.

It is my goal as the State Director to give students the opportunity to develop a love and respect for themselves, their trade, others and their environment.

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It is my belief that the job of a State Director is not only to set up contests, and provide leadership training, but to truly prepare our students for the world of work. The bridge that I'm helping SkillsUSA members build is linking real life situations with their career goals, hobbies, and interests. I believe this should be the true goal for every State Leadership Conference and Skill Championships. By having real life experiences available to students I believe that they will be motivated to adapt these experiences to their own familiarities, and understand that SkillsUSA and technical education is the bridge that can make this happen.

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When accepting the position of State Director my main objective was to positively affect a young person the way I was affected by VICA when I was a student. I believe that we need to provide young people the opportunity to express themselves in a positive and professional manner, and that we need to give them the tools to make this happen. We are blessed with the PDP, which provides the framework for just these skills, and our conferences provide the manner to express and share ideas with students from other schools, across the state and even around the world. While I am not a teacher, I believe that I am an educator, and the one thing I hope to instill in young people is that the world is full of opportunity and that career and technical education is the pathway to success. I hope that I can effectively organize situations that assist young people to achieve what I believe to be the most basic of human needs: A sense of importance and a validation that they are able to do things that are valued by others, whether they are building houses, fixing toilets or styling hair.  

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Lastly, I believe that learning can take place anywhere and at any time and extends through a lifetime. I am blessed to be a part of young peoples lives and amazed by the experiences I have had, and the amount I can and have learned for our students. Being the Director of SkillsUSA Connecticut has allowed me to facilitate a learning experience that focuses on the needs of Technical Education Students and their amazing abilities. It is my sincere hope that I will always maintain my passion for young people, the need for continuous learning and the ability to impact another person's life in a positive manner.