TSTC Students to Challenge for Gold

(WACO) – More than 40 students at Texas State Technical College in Waco are preparing to travel to Louisville, Kentucky, to contend for gold medals at SkillsUSA’s National Leadership and Skills Conference from June 20 to 24.

More than 6,000 high school and college students nationwide are expected to compete in about 100 contests.

“TSTC is honored to send our students to SkillsUSA this year,” TSTC in Waco Provost Adam Hutchison said. “They’ve shown that they have the talent to compete and succeed against their peers in Texas and I’m confident that they’ll represent us well at nationals.”

The TSTC Foundation honored the students with a send-off event on Tuesday, June 14, in Waco.

Jorge Centeno, 32, of Coolidge will compete in his first national contest. Centeno will clash with other students in the Technical Drafting contest. He considers the trip a way to cap off his time at TSTC after graduating in May with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Mechanical/Electrical Drafting Technology.

“Some of my instructors encouraged me to do SkillsUSA,” Centeno said. “I thought, ‘What the heck, I’m already graduating.’ The first experience at the state competition was pretty cool. I wasn’t expecting to win and placed first in the state. I’m kind of nervous about the national competition and being on a flight and going to a place I have never thought of going before.”

Winning a gold medal at the national competition can add another credential to students’ resumes and make them more marketable when job hunting.

“But more than just the competition, our students will get to interact with business and industry representatives, forge friendships and establish connections that may last a lifetime and advance their career,” Hutchison said. “It’s a great opportunity for our students to enjoy the fellowship and the challenge of technical education.”

TSTC in West Texas, Waco and Harlingen won more than 30 gold medals, and more than 70 medals total during SkillsUSA’s statewide postsecondary competition in early April 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.

“Our students are ready to compete,” said James Matus, TSTC in Waco’s campus assistant director and an instructor in the Computer Maintenance Technology department. “TSTC is one of the best technical colleges in America. We have been competing in SkillsUSA for decades and this experience helps us prepare our students for their competitions.”

TSTC students scheduled to compete are Nick Baker, John Barron, Pete Baus, Arthur Boussart, Cameron Burt, Jordan Carpenter, Jorge Centeno, Joe Contreras, Marcus Crespin, Justin Curtis, Dax Edmiston, Kayleigh Ekwall, Louis Garcia, Jose Gomez, Juan Gongora, Ron Grandt, Delorean Green, Ben Huffman, Lane Huston, Larry Johnson, Joey Lopez, Michelle Lopez, Agustin Maldonado, Shelby Mauger, Logan Moore, Zackary Palomin, James Pearson, Angel Pevia, Christian Riestra, Alicia Rivera, Fausto Rodriguez, Ray Ross, Johnathan Sotomayor, Dylan Stubbs, Ciro Suaste, Charles Uecker, Turner Warren, Robert White, Anna Witt, Catherine Woodard and Joseph Yates.

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