Wilkes Community College (WCC) students were one of the leading schools in the state in overall medal counts at the 59th Annual SkillsUSA North Carolina Leadership and Skills Conference on April 23rd-25th, 2024, with the Awards Ceremony for college held on April 24th and high school on April 25th, 2024.
Wilkes Community College’s 114 student competitors, including 52 Career & College Promise high school students, brought home 41 medals: 19 first-place gold medals, eight second-place silver medals, five third-place bronze medals, five fourth-place, and four fifth-place finishes. Of the 114 WCC competitors, 41 placed in the top five, and everyone placed in the top ten in the state. WCC was named as part of the North Carolina SkillsUSA Elite 100 Club, which means WCC has had over 100 students enrolled for the last five years.
WCC students’ Top 5 results were as follows:
Madison Coleman, Additive Manufacturing, 1st Place
Ethan Jacko, Additive Manufacturing, 1st Place
Leah Clarke, Automotive Refinishing Technology, 1st Place (WECHS)
Lucas Delp, Collision Damage Appraisal, 1st Place
Aaron Shores, Electronics Technology, 1st Place
Matthew Rivera, Power Equipment Technology, 1st Place
Eli Greene, Team Works, 1st Place
Chance Mastin, Team Works, 1st Place
Dusty Sigmon, Team Works, 1st Place
Gryson Watson, Team Works, 1st Place
Parker Hamby, Telecommunications Cabling, 1st Place
Julie Summerlin, Web Design, 1st Place
Danielle Triplett, Web Design, 1st Place
Colton Hall, Welding Fabrication, 1st Place
Joshua Key, Welding Fabrication, 1st Place
Chance Weatherman, Welding Fabrication, 1st Place
Weston Cook, Welding Fabrication, 1st Place (CCP)
Ty Ferguson, Welding Fabrication, 1st Place (CCP)
Zac Helms, Welding Fabrication, 1st Place (CCP)
Oli Rogers, Automotive Tool ID, 2nd Place
Daniel Caudill, Power Equipment Technology, 2nd Place
Joshua Lyman, Welding Fabrication, 2nd Place
David Stephens, Welding Fabrication, 2nd Place
Babie Sutherland, Welding Fabrication, 2nd Place
Landen Adkins, Welding Fabrication, 2nd Place (CCP)
Marius Crouse, Welding Fabrication, 2nd Place (CCP)
Luke Evans, Welding Fabrication, 2nd Place (CCP)
Elizabeth Hutchens. Automotive Tool ID, 3rd Place
James Brandt, T-Shirt Design, 3rd Place
Hogan Dillard, Welding Fabrication, 3rd Place (CCP)
Max Kemp, Welding Fabrication, 3rd Place (CCP)
John Wilkerson, Welding Fabrication, 3rd Place (CCP)
Isaiah Cox, Internetworking, 4th Place
Daniel Adams, Team Works, 4th Place (CCP)
Natalie Brown, Team Works, 4th Place (CCP)
Mitchell Maines, Team Works, 4th Place (CCP)
Riley Walker, Team Works, 4th Place (CCP)
Ivey Sanders, Computer Programming, 5th Place
Jacob Pennington, Cyber Security, 5th Place
Kasain Tillman, Cyber Security, 5th Place
Clayton Main, Industrial Motor Control, 5th Place
The 19 first-place winners will now represent North Carolina and Wilkes Community College at the 59th SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, GA. June 24-28, 2024.
“It feels great to be a part of the Wilkes Community College faculty and staff and Wilkes County School System. We have a group of the absolute best students in the state, and they proved that at the SkillsUSA state competition,” said advisor Jamie Reavis. “During the awards ceremony, it was apparent to everyone that WCC, our students, and the faculty and staff lead North Carolina in education and leadership skills. Everyone is to be commended for their accomplishments, including this community that wholeheartedly supports Wilkes Community College and Wilkes County Schools.”
“In addition to their awards and recognition, our students can be proud that they were awarded the opportunity to receive scholarship monies, tools, and equipment from sponsoring vendors to further their education,” adds Reavis. “These students have proven that they have the skills needed to succeed in the workplace and are willing to take a step outside of the normal box, building a stronger workforce for this region. Still, many of them may elect to go on to expand their skills. So, these prizes will help those students achieve that ambition.”
Wilkes Community College is proud to host the SkillsUSA Northwest Region Rally and Career Showcase and appreciates the community support that goes into this annual event and the help from WCC’s SkillsUSA club. Community support is vital to the WCC SkillsUSA club, and its members and advisors want to thank local sponsors for their continued support. The college would like to recognize and thank the following sponsors: WCC faculty and staff, Parkers Building Supply, Blue Ridge Tractor, McNeill Nissan, Flowers Auto Parts, HD Supply, Colors Edge of Wilkesboro and Statesville, Home Builders Association of Wilkes and Yadkin, John Deere with James River Equipment, Kris Dell Applied Software, L & A Emergency, Inc., Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse, North Wilkesboro Fire Department, ARC 3 Welding Supply, Millers Creek and Wilkesboro Volunteer Fire Departments, O’Reilly’s Auto Parts, Payne Power Equipment, Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors of NC, Inc., Snap-on Tools, Specialty Fabricators, The Welding Company, Triad Freightliner, Western Carolina Electric, Weyerhaeuser, and Yadkin Well Company, Inc.
Additional monetary donations were given by Carolina West Wireless, Duke Energy Foundation, Steven Foster, Kimberly Bell, Town of North Wilkesboro, Cynthia Smith, Talina Pipes, Michael Wingler, Stacie Taylor, Jamie Reavis, Jere Miles, Karen Kennedy, Matthew Ham, Devin Royal, Nina Miller, Jody Call, and Window World, Inc.
In addition, contributors to the WCC Annual Fund Drive can designate that their donation be applied to the WCC SkillsUSA club. Allison Phillips, executive director of the WCC Foundation stated, “We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the donors that have contributed to the SkillsUSA club with their gift to the Annual Fund Drive. Through their generosity, we can continue to provide much-needed financial assistance for WCC students to participate in the State and National SkillsUSA Competitions in Greensboro, N.C., and Atlanta, GA. On behalf of myself and the WCC Foundation, we wish our students the best of luck at Nationals.”
About WCC Skills USA Club
SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers, and industry representatives working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce and help each student excel. SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit organization serving teachers and high school and college students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations, including health occupations.
While the highlights of the club’s year are the state and national competitions, students work year-round to prepare for competitions and to promote SkillsUSA. Most recently, WCC hosted the Region 7 SkillsUSA Conference and Career Showcase on February 28, 2022, which turned out to be the largest gathering in the state as well as the largest in WCC’s history of hosting the regional gathering. This annual educational and professional development activity is open to all SkillsUSA members and advisors, high school Career and Technical Education students, business and industry partners, and educational partners. The event included SkillsUSA competitions and the opportunity for high school students to explore the many career training opportunities available to them at WCC.
In 2005, Transportation Technology Chairperson Hardin Kennedy organized and developed the Wilkes Community College SkillsUSA Club. In 2006, Wilkes Community College was represented at the state and national competitions in its first year of competing with 12 students from various engineering technology disciplines. Each year, participation in the SkillsUSA Club grows as students and faculty learn the benefits of being involved.
This active club operates with significant support from local individuals, businesses, and organizations. That assistance helps to offset the cost of hosting events and traveling to competitions. For more information about supporting SkillsUSA, contact Jamie Reavis at 336-838-6192 or ljreavis691@wilkescc.edu.
For more information on donating to the WCC Foundation or the Annual Fund, contact the Wilkes Community College Development Office at 336-838-6491. Contributions may be sent to WCC Foundation, P.O. Box 120, Wilkesboro, NC, 28697.