Brandon Gain 1W4, placed as a bronze medalist in masonry at the SkillsUSA national competition in Kansas City, held from June 24-28. Gain graduated this year from Williamson’s construction technology-masonry program.
Also competing were:
- Carpentry — Bill Davis 1W5, construction technology-carpentry;
- Automated Manufacturing Technology — machine tool technology seniors Mike Fenstermacher, Chris Massey, and Keith McCarthy;
- Industrial Motor Control — Richard Smith 1W5, power plant technology.
Dan Hiltebeitel, SkillsUSA advisor and director of construction technology-masonry, said “This is an outstanding group of young men who represented Williamson very well — both in their trade skills and in how they presented themselves at a national competition. Williamson students keep getting better and better and constantly impress the judges and advisers from other schools. We have developed a reputation as very good competitors and are working hard to maintain it.”
Attending nationals with the students and Hiltebeitel, were Ken Nelson, director of construction technology-carpentry, Carmen Martella, director of machine tool technology, and Jim Schell, instructor of power plant technology.
President Michael Rounds, Mary Nell Rounds, and Peter D’Orazio of the Advancement staff also were at the competitions for four of the five days, observing the competitions, encouraging the students, and visiting alumni, friends, and representatives of companies in the area.
The week-long SkillsUSA Championships, billed as a “showcase for the best career and technical students in the nation,” had nearly 6,000 contestants in 94 trade, technical, and leadership events. To make it to nationals, each student won competitions at the local, district, and state levels.
SkillsUSA is a national organization for students in trade, industrial, technical, and health occupation education with a membership over 300,000. The championships are intended to recognize the achievements of students and to encourage them to strive for excellence and pride in their occupations.
