PIQUA — Local students participated in the recent SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.
The national competition featured more than 6,000 students from middle school through college level, showcasing their skills in areas such as robotics, automotive technology, drafting, criminal justice, aviation maintenance and public speaking, graphic communications and many more.
Upper Valley Career Center and Ohio was represented by Design and Digital Print Technologies senior Christina Crosby, Bradford, who earned a fifth-place finish in the National Graphic Communications competition. Crosby was also awarded Skill POINT Certification.
The Upper Valley Career Center SkillsUSA Chapter was recognized as one of 24 national Model of Excellence Honorees. Career Center student representatives along with staff advisers Sara Plozay and Jeff Bertke were joined by Dr. Nancy Luce, superintendent, for the award ceremony held at Churchill Downs.
Emilie Carter, Fairlawn, and McKenna Murray, Sidney, represented Upper Valley in the Model of Excellence presentation and interview. The chapter honorees were recognized onstage during the SkillsUSA Awards Ceremony in front of more than 12,000 students, instructors and business partners. This is the third year Lowe’s has sponsored this program and the second consecutive recognition for Upper Valley Career Center.
Recent Upper Valley CC graduates and 2016-17 SkillsUSA National Officers William Woodyard, Treasurer/Ohio At-Large from Ansonia and Keaton Pfeiffer, Ohio, Region 3 Vice President from Troy, were instrumental in conference preparations and acted as hosts/mc at multiple events throughout the week. One highlight for Pfeiffer was participating in the scholarship luncheon hosted by mikeroweWORKS founder and Career Tech supporter celebrity Mike Rowe.
The SkillsUSA Championships is the largest skill competition in the world with the largest number of multiple-day volunteer supporters. Competitions cover 1.4 million square feet, equivalent to 20 football fields, or 25 acres. SkillsUSA is the largest career and technology student organization at Upper Valley Career Center with over 400 active members in the chapter.
