GREENSBORO — Multiple Robeson County Career Center students placed during the SkillsUSA competitions with two students advancing to the championships at the SkillsUSA National Conference this summer.
Recently, 29 PSRC high school students competed at the SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference held April 23-25 at the Greensboro Coliseum and the Koury Convention Center. These PSRC high school students attend the Robeson County Career Center while completing classes at their base high schools in the Public Schools of Robeson County.
PSRC students competed against students across the state during the April 24th competition. Ten PSRC students placed in the top five spots of their competitions, including two 2nd-place finishers in automotive categories. The Career Center’s cybersecurity team also took home the winning spot in the state contest.
“Our SkillsUSA State Conference is the largest showcase of Career and Technical Education in the state with over 2,900 students competing in more than 130 skilled, technical and leadership development competitive events. In addition to our student competitors, over 570 instructors were on-site, along with numerous visitors, volunteers and dignitaries who support building the next generation of leaders in the workforce,” according to information from SkillsUSA, a nonprofit national education association. “SkillsUSA serves middle-school, high-school and college/postsecondary students preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations.”
Purnell Swett High School senior Matthew Tyler and James Ellison, a junior attending Lumberton Senior High School, will represent the Public Schools of Robeson County at the SkillsUSA National Conference in Atlanta this summer from June 24-28.
“Overall the experience was amazing,” Ellison said. “I feel like the competition put me a step closer to my goal of getting into cybersecurity.”
Tyler said he too is excited about the opportunity to compete in the national competition.
“It should be noted that these students won first place in the state and they’ve gained a skill that they can use for a lifetime,” said Herman Locklear, director of Career and Technical Education at PSRC. “And because they’ve done it, other kids will know they can do that too.”
Robeson County Career Center Principal Mark Smith has seen firsthand the excitement of competitions at the state and national levels and his heart swells with pride when students take part in those competitions.
The competitions allow students to see talent and engage in competition beyond local areas, which pushes them to think outside the box, he said.
“It’s bigger than just Robeson County,” Smith said. “Students can go anywhere from here and I’m always proud to see them not just participate but win. As a product of Robeson County, to see students that just excel and do well always does my heart good. We have students that can excel and will excel and will go on to do great things.”
The following is a list of students who placed during the state competition:
- James Ellison and Matthew Tyler, Cybersecurity, 1st place
- Ricardo Barbosa, Automotive Beginner, 2nd place
- Donnie Dial, Automotive Service Maintenance and Light Repair, 2nd place
- Logan Scott, Automotive Beginner, 4th place
- Uriel Venegas-Patricio, Internetworking, 4th place
- Parker Wollenweber, IT Services, 4th place
- Myrical Vanderhall and Mohamed Al-Muraisi, EMT 4th place
- Bruno Flores Gonzalez, Internetworking, 5th place
The Career Center also had student competitors in Automotive Tool ID, Masonry 1, Technical Drafting, and Architectural Drafting.
PSRC Superintendent Dr. Freddie Williamson could be seen congratulating the students at a recent ceremony held at the Robeson County Career Center that celebrated the winners and participants of the SkillsUSA Competition.
“This is a big deal for our students and our Career and Technical Education program. These students have been identified as the best of the best in the state and they will move on to compete at a national level,” Dr. Williamson said.
“We are proud of them and we are cheering them on as they demonstrate their skills and knowledge this summer and compete with students across the nation. There is no greater feeling for educators than watching our students excel. It is my greatest joy to see our students continually do just that,” he added.
