LYNWOOD, CA. – Lynwood Unified students from Firebaugh High School’s Project Lead the Way (PLTW) engineering program and Lynwood High School’s various Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and career technical programs put their talents to the test, taking home silver and gold medals during the SkillsUSA State competition in April.

Lynwood High School’s Biomedical Sciences, Engineering and Culinary Arts programs made their presence known throughout the thrilling competition held April 13-16. After earning gold in the Occupational Health and Safety and Drafting categories, seven Lynwood High students will advance to the National Leadership and Skills Conference on June 19 in Atlanta.

“As Chapter President, I am proud to say that our efforts and hard work have paid off, and I am very excited to be returning to Atlanta for a second time,” Lynwood High School senior Stephanie Corona said. “These accomplishments have not only allowed us as a chapter to enhance our knowledge but have given us the opportunity to show our talents and gain a better insight into our future careers.”

The Lynwood High School students advancing to nationals are engineering student Erik Lopez and biomedical sciences students Stephanie Corona, Amaya Padilla, Joselyn Gutierrez, Sonyali Perez, Destiny Salas-Morales and Alejandro Brizuela.

Lynwood High School California Advancing Pathways for Students (CalAPS) junior Dayquian Baker won silver in the Culinary Arts and Hospitality competition, which challenged participants to create a three-course meal and critiqued their technical, knife and butchery skills, sanitation practices and overall finished product.

Firebaugh High School PLTW engineering students Brigitte Lopez, Lucia Miguel Vargas, Michelle Perez and Kimberly Ramirez demonstrated their expertise in the humanoid robotics category, where they were challenged to flawlessly develop and execute a computer program.

It was the school’s first time competing at the state level in the humanoid category, with seniors Perez and Ramirez winning silver medals and juniors Lopez and Vargas taking home the gold.

“I couldn’t be prouder of my students for having the courage to go up against other schools in such a challenging category,” said teacher John Ude, who has taught PLTW engineering courses for 11 years. “I hope the students who participate in this program discover their talent in engineering and see how this can be their future career, whether it be robotics or STEM.”

PLTW is a comprehensive and innovative program that has provided hundreds of Lynwood students with hands-on learning experiences that prepare them for careers in STEM.

“Congratulations to Lynwood and Firebaugh high schools for their outstanding achievement at the SkillsUSA state competition. Our students continue to prove that they are capable of achieving great things,” Superintendent Gudiel Crosthwaite, Ph.D. said. “We applaud their accomplishments and wish them continued success as they pursue their academic and professional goals.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

LUSD_SKILLSUSA_1: The Lynwood High School SkillsUSA team celebrates their accomplishments after the State Championship competition in April.

LUSD_SKILLSUSA_2: Firebaugh High School students Kimberly Ramirez and Michelle Perez show off their robotics project after winning silver medals during the State Championship competition in April.