NORWOOD -- Dan Devine, a student at Norwood-Norfolk Central School, recently competed in the state Skills USA Welding Competition.

Devine won first place in the Region II Area Welding Competition for Skills USA in January.

He is a senior at Norwood-Norfolk and a second year student in metalworking technologies at the Seaway Career and Technical Education Center.

"Dan is very focused and pushes himself to go outside of his comfort zone and find success. Metalworking is a very challenging program and Dan has rose to the expectations and exceeded them in some cases," said Nanci Collins, a metalworking instructor at BOCES.

“This is the first year that students from the metalworking program have competed in the competition and to have someone get first place was a very momentous occasion," she said.

Dan is enrolled in the Advanced Welding Institute in South Burlington, Vt. for the fall semester.