(WACO) – Texas State Technical College did a good job of bringing home the gold. In fact, competing students from Harlingen, Waco and West Texas won more than 30 gold medals at SkillsUSA’s statewide postsecondary competition April 7-9 in Waco.
SkillsUSA is a professional organization teaching technical, academic and employability skills that help college students pursue successful careers. Members build these skills through student-led team meetings, contests, leadership conferences and other activities.
“Overall, I was pleased with how everything went for the Waco campus and the other TSTC campuses (in Harlingen and West Texas),” said James Matus, an instructor in the Computer Maintenance Technology program and SkillsUSA’s host site coordinator and assistant campus coordinator in Waco. “I was pleased with the number of golds compared to the silvers and bronze that we received.”
State gold medalists move on to the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference June 20-24 in Louisville, Ky. More than 6,000 high school and college students are expected to compete in about 100 contests throughout Louisville.
Louis Garcia, 20, a Computer Maintenance Technology from Waco and a graduate of Connally High School in Lacy-Lakeview, won two gold medals in Extemporaneous Speaking and Quiz Bowl.
Garcia had five minutes to write a less than five minute speech on how SkillsUSA prepares leaders for the workforce.
“I just wasn’t expecting it,” Garcia said about his medals. “This was my first time to compete in that event. I’m better speaking on the fly rather than writing a prepared speech. SkillsUSA makes you a better person and leader.”
Due to national conference rules, statewide medalists with multiple goals can only compete in one event. Garcia will participate in Quiz Bowl in Louisville. Quiz Bowl tests students’ knowledge of SkillsUSA facts, current events and general information. Garcia said the team will prepare for the conference by competing against each other to make themselves better.
Winning a gold medal at the national competition can add another credential to students’ resumes and make them more marketable when job hunting.
“We hear success stories from medalists at the national level being able to say that in an interview or put that on a cover letter,” Matus said. “That pops out being first in the nation in anything. It gives them a step in the door of being able to get that position.”
Medalists from TSTC in Waco were:
Gold:
Jose Gomez, Photography
Christian Riestra, Computer Programming
Team A, Teamworks
Logan Moore, Restaurant Service
Team B, Web Design
Joe Contreras, Collision Repair Technology
Zackary Palamin, Internetworking
Jorge Centeno, Technical Drafting
Alicia Riveria, Commercial Banking
Ciro Suaste, Power Equipment Technology
Team A, Opening and Closing Ceremonies
Team A, 3D Visualization and Animation
Ray Ross, Advertising Design
Louis Garcia, Extemporaneous Speaking
Agustin Maldonado, Masonry
Rachel Thompson, First Aid-CPR
Juan Gongora, Information Technology Services
Jose Hernandez, Sheet Metal
Marcus Crespin, Job Skill Demo A and Residential Systems Installation and Maintenance
Eriel Ebarb, T-Shirt Design
Angel Pevia, Plumbing
Turner Warren, Cabinetmaking
Joseph Yates, Culinary Arts
Dylan Stubbs, Architectural Drafting
Lane Huston, Carpentry
Team A, Quiz Bowl
Michelle Lopez, Prepared Speech
Team A, Chapter Display
Dax Edmiston, Telecommunications Cabling
Fausto Rodriguez, Electrical Construction Wiring
Silver:
Faith Ferguson, Restaurant Service
Jose Zermeno, Collision Repair Technology
Christopher Sanders, Related Technical Math
Joey Lopez, Electronics Technology
Teresa Horvath, Automotive Refinishing
Team E, Welding Fabrication
Joshua Alexander, T-Shirt Design
Team A, Interactive Application and Game Development
Pete Baus, Residential Systems Installation and Maintenance
Justin Curtis, Architectural Drafting
Team B, Quiz Bowl
Perry McGill, Prepared Speech
Jose Sanchez, Electrical Construction Wiring
Bronze:
Michael Neidert, Diesel Equipment Technology
Joshua Alexander, Pin Design
Eliseo Perez III, Welding Sculpture
Victor Garcia, Related Technical Math
Waylon Glasscock, Residential Systems Installation and Maintenance
Johnathon Sotomayor, Job Skill Demo Open
Angel Compean, Welding
Medalists from TSTC in Harlingen were:
Gold:
Team A, Automated Manufacturing Technology
Brandon Moreno, Pin Design
Dolores Garza, Automotive Refinishing
Team A, Robotics: Urban Search and Rescue
Carlos Ortega, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
Leonila Hernandez, Medical Assisting
Eugenio Torres, CNC Milling
Silver:
Nicolas Gonzalez, Internetworking
Team C, Health Knowledge Bowl
Cecilia Mendez, Medical Assisting
Alexis Mata, Cabinetmaking
Brandon Barr, Carpentry
Shelly Morris, Telecommunications Cabling
Bronze:
Brandon Lara, Collision Repair Technology
Guillermo Cura, Internetworking
Joel Jimenez, Technical Drafting
Daniel Elizondo, Automotive Refinishing
Oralia Rico, Medical Assisting
Nataly Cordova, Architectural Design
Luis Moya, Carpentry
Medalists from TSTC in West Texas were:
Gold:
Team A, Community Service
Rachael Thompson, First Aid-CPR
Silver:
Keegan Hill, Medical Terminology
Bronze:
Jon-William Lewis, Information Technology Services
Annette Lacassa-Phillips, Medical Terminology