TSTC_SkillsUSA2016

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, Kentucky. 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 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

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

Pictured above are gold medal winners from TSTC’s Waco, West Texas and Harlingen campuses at SkillsUSA’s postsecondary competition held earlier this month in Waco.