Way to Go!: Jack Shea, Lynbrook
A Lynbrook High School senior is demonstrating his leadership skills on a statewide stage through involvement in SkillsUSA, a vocational-focused national organization.
Jack Shea, who also attends engineering technology classes at Nassau BOCES’ Joseph M. Barry Career and Technical Education Center in Westbury, has been SkillsUSA’s New York State vice president for Long Island’s Area 6 region since his election in February.
His achievements include serving as a SkillsUSA voting delegate, representing Long Island at state and national conventions, and traveling to the nation’s capital to lobby legislators to support the Perkins Act, which gives federal support to career and technical programs.
“I have done things I never thought I could do,” Shea said. “I have spoken in front of 2,000 people, lobbied in Washington, and traveled around the country representing Long Island.”
SkillsUSA encourages collaboration among students, teachers and industry professionals to provide programs, events and competitions that support career and technical education, with the goal of creating a skilled workforce. About 300,000 students and advisers participate annually in the organization.
Earlier this month, Shea worked to help train the next generation of local SkillsUSA officers at the organization’s 2015 New York State Leadership Conference, held in Syracuse.
SkillsUSA is organized in 18,000 sections and 52 territorial associations.
Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.
