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Greater Lawrence Technical School senior Julissa Sanchez, of Methuen took first place and earned a gold medal in Medical Assisting at the 2025 SkillsUSA State Leadership & Skills Conference, held early last month in Marlborough.
Sanchez became involved in SkillsUSA during her sophomore year after being introduced to it by her shop instructor, Audra Durkin. That year, she took her first district-level exam for the Medical Assisting competition and served as a voting delegate at the 2023 SkillsUSA State Conference.
“Julissa likes to be challenged, and what better way to accept a challenge than to participate in competitions,” said Durkin. “Over the past two years, Julissa has shown remarkable growth—both personally and academically. What began as quiet potential has transformed into confident leadership and consistent effort.”
Sanchez’s passion for the medical field began long before her involvement in SkillsUSA, and before attending Greater Lawrence Tech.
“Inspired by my grandmother’s struggle with diabetes, I knew I wanted to be a part of a medical team. I realized there was no better time to start working toward my goals than now, and that is why I chose to attend GLTS,” she said.
Her achievement at the state competition qualifies her to represent Massachusetts at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, from June 23-27, in Atlanta, Ga., where she will compete against the best Medical Assisting students from across the country.