ROSENBERG – Texas State Technical College students earned a total of 47 medals – 18 gold, 15 silver and 14 bronze – during the recent statewide SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary Leadership and Skills Conference in Houston.
The three-day competition ended Saturday, April 9, with a closing ceremony in Pasadena that included awards and prizes.
“Congratulations to everyone here,” Crystal Latham-Alford, executive director of SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary, said to students and advisors at the start of the closing ceremony. “We were (away for) two years in the pandemic and you all came back swinging harder than ever. I can only imagine what we’re going to do next year.”
Students who win gold medals move on to compete in the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in late June in Atlanta, Georgia.
James Walker, of Hughes Springs, won the gold medal in Industrial Motor Control. He is an Automation and Controls Technology student at TSTC’s Marshall campus.
Walker said he was not used to being away from home for so long with his family not around. He said he enjoyed the mathematics portion of the contest and looks forward to traveling to Atlanta.
Walker said he prepared for the competition by doing more challenging labs in his classes. He chose to take part in SkillsUSA to include the experience on his resume.
Destiny Roberts, an Emergency Medical Services student at TSTC’s Brownwood campus, earned a silver medal in the First Aid-CPR competition.
“It was a fun experience -- you get to learn new things and be around new people,” she said of her time at SkillsUSA.
Michael Cole, a Culinary Arts student at TSTC’s Waco campus, agreed.
“It’s really cool to meet a lot of other people with the same passion and drive as you,” he said, adding that he participated in the Restaurant Service competition. “These competitions are for people with the drive to go further.”
Isela Munoz, a Vocational Nursing student at TSTC’s Harlingen campus, participated in the Medical Math and Medical Terminology competitions.
“Overall, it was nervewracking,” she said. “We want to win, but we’re also just here to do our best.”
Munoz went on to learn that she had earned gold in Medical Math and silver in Medical Terminology.
Precision Machining Technology lead instructor Isaac Gonzalez, who teaches at TSTC’s Harlingen campus, was excited about the overall outcome for all TSTC students who competed.
“I’m very happy,” he said. “Thanks to the instructors for giving the ability for the students to participate.”
The TSTC East Williamson County students who earned SkillsUSA medals include:
East Williamson County Campus
CNC Milling
Bronze - Adam Cox
