![\"TSTC](\"http:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/TSTCSkillsUSANtlMedalists.jpg\")
<\/a>Students in SkillsUSA participate in hands-on competitions in various fields such as science, technology, engineering, mathematics, carpentry and culinary arts.<\/p>\nThe students who earned the gold medal in Robotics Urban Search and Rescue are Michael Arreola, a TSTC Mechatronics Technology student, and Rick Santos, a recent Mechatronics Technology and Tool and Die Technology graduate.<\/p>\n
Santos, who earned his place at the national competition while still a student, said he and Arreola began preparing for this competition since the end of last year\u2019s SkillsUSA national competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt takes nearly a full year to build our robot and prepare it just right for competition,\u201d said Santos.<\/p>\n
Winning the gold medal means that this team of two excelled in their written test, presentation, engineering notebook submission and execution of their robot.<\/p>\n
Both men agree they were expecting to win second or third place, and when they were not called for either, they were positive they had not placed at all.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was definitely a good feeling hearing we had received the gold medal,\u201d said Arreola. \u201cIt was an awesome experience being there, winning and hearing the crowd cheer for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The TSTC Community Service team and bronze medal winners are Alexandra Lugo, a Mathematics and Business Management Technology major; Jacqueline Cruz, Agricultural Technology graduate and academic core student; and Yajaira Gonzalez, Biology major.<\/p>\n
These women represented the TSTC\u2019s Building Construction Technology community service project with Habitat for Humanity. Throughout the year the building construction students volunteer with habitat and use their skills to build homes for low-income families.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was great to show how our students use their technical skills to benefit our community,\u201d said Lugo.<\/p>\n
The women worked long hours after their classes and jobs to complete the community service binder they were going to submit and prepare for the presentation in front of a panel of judges.<\/p>\n