AmazingComebacks

champions
SkillsUSA
WINTER 2015
50 ways to win!
experts respond
with contest tips
how underdogs
take the gold
making history
with middle schools
industry changes
50 years
in the future
Amazing Comebacks
Driven to Succeed
WHAT
DOES IT TAKE
TO BE A
CHAMPION?
STANDARDS
2015-2016 SkillsUSA
Championships
Technical Standards Book
Order the book for $35.95
at www.lulu.com
2015-2016 SkillsUSA Championships
Technical Standards CD-ROM Package
Order the CD-ROM package for $19.95 online at:
www.skillsusa.org/store/technicalstandards.html
2015 SkillsUSA Championships, Louisville, Ky., June 23 to 26
champions
SkillsUSA
SkillsUSA’s Official Magazine
14001SkillsUSAWay,Leesburg,VA20176-5494
703-777-8810•www.skillsusa.org
Magazine Staff/Office Of PublicatiOnS
TomHall,Director
AnnSchreiber,Associate Director, Communications
CraigMoore,Manager, Web/Technology
TomKercheval,Manager, Audiovisual Technology/
Communications
Office Of the executive DirectOr
TimLawrence,Executive Director
SandraMoore,Administrative Assistant
aDMiniStratiOn anD finance
KimGraham,Director
KeithAshby,Manager, Educational Resources/
National Center
MelissaWilson,Manager, Human Resources
RoxanneHodge,Customer Service Representative
buSineSS PartnerShiPS anD DevelOPMent
KellyPersons,Director
DaveWorden, Program Director, SkillsUSA
Championships
ChristenBattaglia, Program Manager, Corporate
and Campaign Development
KarenBeatty,Program Manager, Business Partnerships and Development
JimKregiel, Program Manager, SkillsUSA
Championships
cOMMunicatiOnS anD gOvernMent relatiOnS
TomHoldsworth,Associate Executive Director
JaneShort,Program Manager
eDucatiOn, training anD aSSeSSMentS
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HeidiWalsh,Program Director, Programs and Grant
Management
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Management Services
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Management Services
Marketing, MeMberShiP anD SaleS
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System and Member Services
kanSaS city Office • 816-691-3827
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aDvertiSing rePreSentativeS fOr SkillSuSa chaMPiOnS
ConstellationEnterprisesInc.
53MainSt./P.O.Box508,CherryValley,NY13320
607-264-9069
4
SkillsUSAChampionsWinter2015
bOarD Of DirectOrS
BrentKindred (Wisconsin)
MichaeldeCastro(Air Products)
ChrisArvin (Caterpillar University)
JamesKing(Tennessee)
DaveMilliken(Utah)
PeggyTorrens(Kansas)
CharlesWallace(Maryland)
AlexGromada(Association for Career and Technical
Education)
KathyMannes(American Association of Community
Colleges)
JenniferPolz(SkillsUSA State Directors Association)
ScottStump(National Association of State Directors
of Career and Technical Education Consortium)
TroyDally(Lowe’s Companies Inc.)
LaurieHackett(Air Products)
RussHoffbauer(State Farm Insurance Companies)
ChrisTesmer(Newell Rubbermaid)
natiOnal StuDent OfficerS/aDviSOrS
HigH ScHool
AhmadShawwal/TimothyMcLeod(Virginia)
DaltonCrump/ElizabethCrump(North Carolina)
StephanieWilburn/ToddAnderson(Oklahoma)
RobertGomez/JoeValdez(Texas)
AntonioVargas/LauraVelez(Connecticut)
TaylorMackie/SheilaFox(Massachusetts)
BenjaminMiller/Lauren-AnneSledzinski(Virginia)
MatthewCarder/DeborahLuellen(Ohio)
AnastasiaHawkins/JordanBedhart(Texas)
SummerDiegel/EricCroft(Montana)
college/PoStSecondary
BrookeJohnson/JamesCarter(North Carolina)
QuinelNabors/JoanneEdley(Tennessee)
DarlenneHelena/ThomasThoss(Florida)
ShaneMorrison/RylandStonehocker(Oklahoma)
AlexBruin/MichelleMartinez(Arizona)
SkillsUSA
champions online
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Seeevenmorechampionsonourfrequently
updatedwebsite,www.skillsusa.org,aswellas:
Volume 49, No. 2
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asktim
A Shining Standard
Q&A
Executive Director Tim Lawrence has known SkillsUSA
as a student member, instructor, industry partner and
state director. Got a question? He can help.
are great, but how
Q:Celebrations
can a focus on SkillsUSA’s 50th
anniversary help me and my school?
Tim: When people celebrate 50 years, they
call it a golden anniversary. Throughout
time, gold has been a symbol of optimism
and security. A gold standard is considered
the best, most reliable or most prestigious.
Such standards have helped propel
SkillsUSA to success over its five decades.
We are known in the halls of Congress, in
the White House and by the leaders of our
nation’s largest and most powerful corporations. As with the national championships, your local or regional SkillsUSA
competitions can help draw attention to
the important work you are doing.
Get your chapter’s public relations
committee involved early. Once dates are
on the calendar, invite parents, the public
and local news media to come and view
the competitions. When preparing a news
release about your local events, your PR
committee can highlight the 50th anniversary of the organization. We have lots
of resources online at our newly expanded
www.skillsusa.org. We’d love to see your
50th anniversary celebrations, so send us
your stories and photos.
The gold medal is the top honor in our
SkillsUSA Championships, and it has
lured many a student to work harder than
ever before in pursuit of winning one.
In this issue of SkillsUSA Champions, our
annual competition guide provides great
tips for doing well at every level. Even
when our winners find obstacles in their
way, striving to succeed helps them set a
gold standard for themselves. There’s the
story of one student who, despite switching careers, ultimately earned a national
gold medal and a new Corvette for his
school. You’ll also read about the national
TeamWorks champions — students who
lived up to 100 miles apart but found ways
to join together and become the best.
While visionary, our founding group
of 200 educators and students in 1965
probably never imagined SkillsUSA would
expand to more than 300,000 annual
members. We’ve touched lives around the
world, and our impact continues to grow.
This 50th anniversary reminds me that
most great things in life come after years
of work. There’s an old Japanese proverb
that sums up success beautifully: “Fall
down seven times, get up eight.” Go for
the gold standard in your personal life as
well as in your education. Stand up one
more time than you fall down, and you
will be a winner.
•
Got questions about SkillsUSA or other topics?
Email anyinfo@skillsusa.org or send a letter to
the address on the facing page. Put “Ask Tim”
in the subject line or mail address.
Winter2015SkillsUSAChampions
5
what’snew
Making SkillsUSA’s
Voice Heard
Internationally
D
uring an extraordinary 10-day
speaking tour in Kazakhstan, the
ninth-largest country in the world, Executive Director Tim Lawrence brought
SkillsUSA’s model of career and technical
education to a nation eager to build one all
its own.
Kazakhstan is working to modernize its vocational education system, and
SkillsUSA was specifically chosen by the
U.S. Department of State as an American
Challenging the Urge to Serve
S
template the Kazakhs could learn from.
“The agenda was packed every day,”
says Lawrence. “I was in every region
and visited 14 of the 80 colleges where
vocational programs are taught. It was
a great opportunity to pursue our goal
of making SkillsUSA an internationally
recognized leader in workforce education
and employment readiness.” For more,
visit: www.skillsusa.org/executive-directorsreport-november-1-2014/.
killsUSA turns 50 this May
(a fact you should know by now).
Many wonderful things will
be celebrated on that day, including
SkillsUSA’s ongoing legacy of supporting healthy and vibrant communities
through direct community service.
The SkillsUSA Alumni and Friends
Association created the SkillsUSA 50K
Challenge to help make that celebration
even more special. The goal of the challenge is to track 50,000 hours of service
from now through June 26 to help
underscore SkillsUSA’s commitment to
helping others.
To learn more about the challenge,
register and log your own hours, visit:
www.SkillsUSAService.org.
•
•
Lawrence (right)
accepts a gift of
traditional Kazakh garb
during a meeting with
one of the many college
directors he visited
over the course of his
whirlwind speaking
tour of Kazakhstan.
6
SkillsUSAChampionsWinter2015
what’snew
FALL INSTITUTE
RAISES THE BAR
FOR LEADERSHIP
I
f you want the latest piece of
evidence that SkillsUSA is still in the
midst of a heavy growth spurt, look no
further than the recent Washington
Leadership Training Institute. The
2014 WLTI was easily the biggest in
history, with 396 attendees representing 30 states and Puerto Rico.
At WLTI, held in September each
year, SkillsUSA student leaders and
advisors come together in the nation’s
capital for a week of intensive leadership and advocacy training. Other
activities include a visit to SkillsUSA’s
headquarters, tours of area landmarks
and museums, presentations from
guest speakers and more.
The highlight of the week comes
when students make face-to-face visits
with their state representatives on
Capitol Hill to lobby for SkillsUSA.
This year, student delegations met in
the offices of 32 senators, 90 representatives and one resident commissioner.
The 123 total visits were the most in
the conference’s history.
For more, visit: www.skillsusa.org/
events-training/washington-leadershiptraining-institute/.
Photo:CraigE.Moore
•
Soldiers prepare to lay a wreath
presented by SkillsUSA on the Tomb
of the Unknowns at Arlington
National Cemetery.
Designing a 50-year Celebration
Each one of SkillsUSA’s national conferences
is special, but this year’s will be even more so.
Why? For one, we’ll be celebrating the organization’s 50th birthday (like we said on the previous
page, a fact you should know by now). For two,
we’ll be back in Louisville, Ky., for the first time
since 1993. An extra special conference demands
an extra special pin and T-shirt design, and
SkillsUSA just happens to have a handy competition to determine the best for each. It’s open to
all dues-paying members, and all entries must
be received by Feb. 1. For full details, visit: www.
skillsusa.org/competitions/pin-design-contest/. •
A casual way
to formally show
SkillsUSA pride
C
elebrating 50 years of SkillsUSA
doesn’t just mean remembering the
past; it also means taking charge of the
future. Current SkillsUSA members can
be the first in history to own the brandnew “Proud to Work, Proud to Wear”
official black jacket from Carhartt.
It’s one-of-a-kind, versatile for yearround wear, made in the USA and can
be personally embroidered just for you.
Now don’t be confused; the black jacket
is not replacing the official red blazer,
which is the ultimate symbol of SkillsUSA
membership. It is, however, replacing the
red windbreaker, which will be retired from
SkillsUSA’s clothing line but will continue
to be recognized as official attire.
Reserve your black jacket today at: www.
skillsusa.org/skillsusa-black-jacket/.
•
Winter2015SkillsUSAChampions
7
I N S I D E R ’ S G U I D E TO C H AM P I O N S H I PS
To celebrate the
50th anniversary of
SkillsUSA’s founding,
we’ve collected the
top 50 tips from the
technical experts
behind the national
championships.
What’s changed in
the rules? What’s the
key to winning?
The responses, as
they say, are golden.
By Craig E. Moore
8
SkillsUSAChampionsWinter2015
1
Readtherules. That sort of seems obvious, but you might be surprised to find
out how many people really don’t take the time to both read and understand the
rules of their contest. Each year, when the staff of SkillsUSA Champions asks our
technical committee chairs what it takes to win, that’s the single most frequent response.
There are rule changes in many of the contests, too. The 2015-2016 SkillsUSA Championships Technical Standards was just published this fall.
According to Dave Worden, director of the SkillsUSA Championships, every competitor should have the latest version of the technical standards to compete effectively in his
or her contest.
“There have been changes to 50 percent of the contests in the new technical standards
manual. Some of them are minor and some are extensive, but a competitor needs the
latest manual to be competitive,” Worden says.
You can purchase the technical standards either as a CD-ROM or in the traditional
book format. The CD version also includes a second disc with many of the projects from
the 2014 national competition.
Don’t need every contest? You can purchase the rules, and in many cases last year’s
project, as a Contest Single. See SkillsUSA’s online store for specifics of how to order:
www.skillsusa.org/store/.
Regarding rules, it’s important to read prior to competition the updates located at:
www.skillsusa.org/competitions/skillsusa-championships/contest-updates/. Bookmark this Web
page and check in regularly.
Several competition updates have already been posted for 2015. These will continue
through the end of May.
6
16
SCOTT WATSON, HUNTER HIGH SCHOOL, UTAH
(PRINCIPLES OF ENGINEERING/TECHNOLOGY)
HAAGAR (FIRST AID/CPR)
Contest eligibility has been expanded
to includetheProjectLeadtheWay
program.
7
The key advice is the same every year:
Knowthephysics of how the item
works and have a great presentation on it.
WATSON (PRINCIPLES OF ENGINEERING/TECHNOLOGY)
8
Knowbasiccircuitry and EMT
conduit bending, and practice taking
verbal instructions.
GREG RACHAL, POPS ELECTRIC LLC
(ELECTRICAL CONSTRUCTION WIRING)
9
Aneyefordetail is a must.
RACHAL (ELECTRICAL CONSTRUCTION WIRING)
10
Comepreparedwith the proper
test equipment (Oscope and multimeter) and soldering tools.
KEVIN GULLIVER, NIDA CORP. (ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY)
11
12
Practicetroubleshooting.
GULLIVER (ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY)
2
InGraphicCommunications,there
will be more focus on digital press
output. Offset press will still be a part of
the contest but in a different scale.
KIP JARRETT, HEIDELBERG USA (GRAPHIC COMMUNICATIONS)
3
Electronicprepress and digital
workflow (preflight) will be merged
into one contest area versus two contest
areas, creating a true digital workflow.
JARRETT (GRAPHIC COMMUNICATIONS)
4
Learnto pronounce words correctly!
For example, “our” versus “are.”
LISA ROMEISER, EASTERN MONROE CAREER CENTER, NEW YORK
(OPENING AND CLOSING CEREMONIES)
5
Worksafely and follow the procedures. The information needed to
complete the station is available at each
station.
CHAD ESTLE, TRAVEL CENTERS OF AMERICA
(DIESEL EQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGY)
Contestants must provide a copy
ofcertification at the orientation
meeting.
17
Practicethe nationalcontest
projects over and over again.
BRYAN LIGHT, BRICK INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION (MASONRY)
18
Please use the samejudging
criteria that is used at the nationals
to grade your work.
LIGHT (MASONRY)
you do not have copiesofthe
19Ifprojects
and criteria, you are
welcome to email the chairman of the
national Masonry technical committee at
blight@bia.org.
LIGHT (MASONRY)
20
As far as technical standards
are concerned, there were no
real changes for this manual. We have,
however, redesignedthescoringsheets
for the 2015 competition.
ROBERT WITTE, NAVAJO TECHNICAL COLLEGE
(RESTAURANT SERVICE)
Wehaveanewname. We are now
Information Technology Services
(formerly Computer Maintenance Technology).
21
CHRIS SESSA, CARDIOVASCULAR CONSULTANTS
(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES)
WITTE (RESTAURANT SERVICE)
13
A larger emphasis has been placed
on networkingandsecurity. These
parallels are present already in curriculum
but not covered in the classroom to the
depth that is required.
SESSA (INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES)
14
Be prepared to followdirections.
Be willing to work with something
you have not seen before. That is the
nature of this industry.
Usethebook reference to be better
prepared for what the updates
might bring.
22
Webnewsarticles are now
accepted under the new guidelines.
Every contestant (one from the team) will
be interviewed this year.
BILL MANN, FLORIDA (OUTSTANDING CHAPTER)
contestant willbeinter23Every
viewed this year. Select a good
interviewer to represent the team.
MANN (OUTSTANDING CHAPTER)
24
Advisorsshould
readand help
students to understand
the instructions.
SESSA (INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
SERVICES)
15
InFirstAid/
CPR,contestants may wear
leather or canvas
white shoes.
MANN (OUTSTANDING
CHAPTER)
not be
25Do
nervous.
GLENN HAAGAR,
IN-HOUSE PC SERVICES LLC
(FIRST AID/CPR)
BOB MIKELL, CARRIER CORP.
(HEATING, VENTILATION,
AIR CONDITIONING AND
REFRIGERATION)
Photos:LloydWolf
Winter2015SkillsUSAChampions
9
26
Displaychangesareonline
sure the bulletinboarduses
31Chapter
36Make
at: http://tinyurl.com/k6vbdds.
interchangeable pieces. While we
DIANA KENDRICK, SOUTHERN CRESCENT TECHNICAL COLLEGE
(MEDICAL ASSISTING)
2015-16 technical standards
32The
now allow the use of any wireless
MedicalAssistingcompetitors
should be prepared to talk to the
patient, even if it is a manikin. Patient
education is stressed.
27
Practice andbe
prepared forsterile
technique. If you break it,
state the break and what you
would do to fix it.
KENDRICK (MEDICAL ASSISTING)
28
Treat the contest as if it were
a real-lifesituation. Each
component is something you may have
already encountered in your practicum.
KENDRICK (MEDICAL ASSISTING)
29Be sure to addressthetheme.
JOHN SCOTT, GEORGIA (CHAPTER DISPLAY)
30
SCOTT (CHAPTER DISPLAY)
camera to be mounted on the robot. The
old standards restricted the camera to the
900 MHz SecurityMan IR camera and
receiver.
ALAN KIRBY, PITSCO EDUCATION
(ROBOTICS: URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE)
applaud the use of interactive items such
as a tear-off calendar when the board is
in use, it’s recommended to create a static
interchangeable piece for the contest,
explaining to judges how the piece is used.
GAY KETCHUM, GORDON COOPER TECHNOLOGY CENTER
(PROMOTIONAL BULLETIN BOARD)
are providing more equipment
37We
and have addedspotwelding in
the welding phase of the competition.
33
Polished,organized and complete
engineering notebooks are key to
performing well in this competition.
KIRBY (ROBOTICS: URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE)
the past,we’ve always chosen
34Inbetween
a portrait or commercial
product shot. In 2015, we plantodoboth.
BILL CHENAILLE, ACADEMY FOR MEDIA PRODUCTION
(PHOTOGRAPHY)
DARRELL ANDREWS, STATE FARM INSURANCE COMPANIES
(COLLISION REPAIR TECHNOLOGY)
your trade. If there are
38Practice
things you are unsure of or do not
understand, askyourinstructor to help
clarify what you don’t understand. Do
your own research on the process to get a
better understanding.
ANDREWS (COLLISION REPAIR TECHNOLOGY)
Design and construct chapter
displays that involveanumber
ofstudents from different occupational/
academic programs.
you have practiced and are
bemindful of your safety
35Beablesureto readthedrawingsand
39Always
practices. They are very important
details for the contest.
and judged throughout the competition.
SCOTT (CHAPTER DISPLAY)
KENT GILCHRIST, FREMONT INTERIORS (CABINETMAKING)
ANDREWS (COLLISION REPAIR TECHNOLOGY)
FAST TRACK:
SUCCESS
Separate yourself from the competition through direct interaction
with many of today’s business leaders at Johnson & Wales University.
Apply today. Your fast track awaits.
Johnson & Wales University admits students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin, among other categories.
admissions.jwu.edu/apply
44
The Architectural
Drafting contest
seeks problemsolvingabilities,
not just knowing
how to use the
software.
THOMAS BENDORF,
LMH ARCHITECTURE LLC
(ARCHITECTURAL DRAFTING)
41
Audiolevelis the most important
thing. Sound quality and target
audience are a close second.
PAUL CHIACCHIERINI, ACADEMY FOR MEDIA PRODUCTION
(AUDIO/RADIO PRODUCTION)
42
Whereindustry standards have
been updated, so too have our
Telecommunications Cabling standards.
TERESA MAHER, ELECTRONICS TECHNICIANS ASSOCIATION
INTERNATIONAL (TELECOMMUNICATIONS CABLING)
The contestants
will find errors
in WAN and LAN
networks, do an ISP
configuration using
routers and switches, talk
a technician through an
error they are having on
their network, and take an
online, certification-type test.
BOB SCHOENHERR, CISCO NETWORKING
(INTERNETWORKING)
Worksafely,work as quickly as
possible, and double-check your
work.
JOHN MASARICK, INDEPENDENT ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR
(INDUSTRIAL MOTOR CONTROL)
48
Everyone beontime for the
contestant meeting. Make sure
you have all members present. When
interviewed, all three take part.
CARL CREASMAN, CREASMAN CONSULTING
(CAREER PATHWAYS SHOWCASE)
national contest is based on
for your presentation, and
45 The
49Prepare
the most current CCNA certificamake sure you use what you have
tion. There are now eightCCNAcertifications of which the contestant needs to
have a base knowledge, all the way from
the data center to the AP on a smartphone.
SCHOENHERR (INTERNETWORKING)
46
National Electrical Code changes.
Always check with your instructor
to see what changes have occurred
in CCNA and Microsoft Server configurations. Use this linkforCCNA: http://
tinyurl.com/cq7xd6n
MAHER (TELECOMMUNICATIONS CABLING)
SCHOENHERR (INTERNETWORKING)
for more fiberoptics,
43Watch
Ethernet-related standards and
47
The last graduation cap
they’ll ever need.
Give your students the advantage by introducing the same learning
series our John Deere technicians use in their Ɵrst year on the
job. John Deere Publishing offers Ɵve comprehensive series of
educational curricula covering agribusiness management practices,
agricultural machinery operation, and equipment maintenance.
Written in simple language instruction with detailed and easy-tofollow illustrations, these books give students clear demonstrations
for greater understanding and retention. Our textbooks will
help students to think and analyze, enabling them to become
better technicians or machine operators of large and small
equipment. For more information visit us at
www.JohnDeere.com/publications.
learned in school. Readingthedrawings
correctly is critical.
JIM BOHN, BOSCH TOOL CORP. (TEAMWORKS)
50
Followthe
instructions.
(Worth repeating!)
FLOYD MCWILLIAMS, AMERICAN
DESIGN DRAFTING ASSOCIATION
(TECHNICAL DRAFTING)
Visit: http://tinyurl.com/
Insiders2015 for more tips
from the contest experts.
•
Photo:LloydWolf
40
In2015,SkillsUSAwillmarkits50thanniversary.Weaskedthetechnicalexpertshowtheirindustrieshavechangedmostoverthepast50years—andwhattheirSkillsUSAcompetitionmightbe
covering50yearsfromnow.(Seemoreonlineat:http://tinyurl.com/Insiders2015)
GRAPHIC
COMMUNICATIONS
MIKE STINNETT
DIESELEQUIPMENT
TECHNOLOGY
JEFFERY BRYSON
AND CHAD ESTLE
PRINCIPLESOF
ENGINEERING/
TECHNOLOGY
SCOTT WATSON
ELECTRICAL
CONSTRUCTION
WIRING
GREG RACHAL
HEATING,VENTILATION,
AIRCONDITIONING
ANDREFRIGERATION
BOB MIKELL
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGYSERVICES
CHRIS SESSA
MADE
IN THE
The end of letterpress and the removal of design
pasteups, cameras and stripping, and the addition of computers, digital presses, cell phones,
Web design and multimedia.
More electronics than ever, new fuels and
exhaust after-treatment. In the next 50, it will be
alternative fuels and hybrids. Diesel equipment is
becoming as electronically driven as automotive.
ELECTRONICS
TECHNOLOGY
KEVIN GULLIVER
MEDICALASSISTING
DIANA KENDRICK
Chalkboards were replaced 15 years ago by
whiteboards, and these were recently replaced
by Smart-board/LCD projection equipment. The
technology trend has just begun in education.
URBANSEARCH
ANDRESCUE
The electrical industry has evolved from a screwdriver, hammer and wire cutters to using laptop
computers in the field that program lighting and
power systems.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Our industry is much more electronic. Refrigerants have changed greatly and will be changing even more. We may not even be using
refrigerants as we know them in the future.
COLLISIONREPAIR
TECHNOLOGY
Our industry shifts in six-month to yearly cycles.
Life cycles of technology have become increasingly shorter. Work with mobile devices or tablets
should be expected.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
CABLING
ALAN KIRBY
BILL CHENAILLE
DARRELL ANDREWS
TERESA MAHER
Electronics is no longer a specialty area but
an integrated part of all current technology.
Troubleshooting will be less to the component
level and more from a systems-level perspective.
The office nurse (once hired off the street)
has been replaced by an educated medical
assistant, versatile in specimen collection, lab
testing, medication administration and ECG.
Robotics has made rapid advances in the last
few years. In another 50 years, I foresee the
competition incorporating underwater as well
as flying robotics.
With digital technology, many now do their processing in house. Expect the continued merging
of photography and video technology, requiring
professionals to be multimedia specialists.
Vehicles have been completely redesigned with
different types of metals, composite materials
and components. We may shift toward other
metals as vehicles become safer and lighter.
Communications! In 1965, there were no mobile
phones, no smart phones, no Internet, no email
and no social media. In 50 years, our smart homes
will communicate with us directly.
•
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12
SkillsUSA Winter HP Ad alt.indd 1
SkillsUSAChampionsWinter2015
10/16/14 3:02 PM
‘BACK ON TRACK’
R
•
A self-described overachiever, Ryan Gortney
enjoys “pushing the
envelope.” Even a horrific
racing accident couldn’t
keep him from pursuing
his passion for teaching,
with his son at his side.
By E. Thomas hall
Photo:LloydWolf
yan Gortney has a love for teaching
and SkillsUSA, with his students
competing at the national championships nine of the past 10 years. His
other passion is drag racing. That pursuit
led to breaking his neck and back in a June
2012 accident, but the other drove him
back into the classroom the next fall.
Gortney was racing his wheelstander
in a quarter-mile exhibition when the
accident happened. The car runs on its
rear wheels (visit: thewheeliewagon.com).
“I had just made a picture-perfect run
and was transitioning the car back down
from two wheels to four,” he remembers.
“A gear broke, and the rear end locked up
solid at about 135 miles an hour. The car
bounced and then rolled end over end, and
we flew about 130 feet through the air.”
With 12 broken vertebrae, an incomplete spinal cord injury, two punctured
lungs, and a lacerated spleen and liver,
Gortney was in the hospital for over two
months. But soon after fall classes started
at Elkhart (Ind.) Area Career Center, he
came in one day a week and even helped
pick the substitute teacher for his motorcycle/outdoor power technology program.
“It was hard for me not to be in the
classroom making a difference in these
young people’s lives,” he says. “So many
of them don’t have a mentor, and I look at
SkillsUSA and the opportunity we have in
the classroom to be that mentor.”
By the end of that school year, Gortney
was spending four days a week there. He
went back to work full time the next fall.
An extra incentive was his son Lane
enrolling in the class. In 2014, the student
competed in the SkillsUSA Championships, with his dad proudly looking on.
Such success brought many scholarships, helping him go to the University
of Northwestern Ohio, where he’s now
studying high-performance technology.
Although doctors once told Gortney
he’d never walk again, today he gets
around with only a cane. “They didn’t
expect me to ever get back in the classroom,” he says, “but I knew deep down in
my heart and mind that I would.”
A career change and hard work
lead the way to a national medal
By Ann P. Schreiber
N
Neal Foster (right) brought home a gold
medal and, as an automotive training
tool for instructor Jamie Decato, a new
Chevrolet Corvette from General Motors.
Students need to ask questions and
take advantage of their teachers’ years
of experience. “Keep asking questions
until you have the level of knowledge to
teach [that task] to someone else.”
•
Photo:LloydWolf
eal Foster says if you’re willing to
put in the work, you can accomplish anything you want. After his first
attempt in 2013, Foster’s work led to a
college/postsecondary gold in Automotive Service Technology at the SkillsUSA
Championships.
In 2009, Foster earned a bachelor’s
degree in forestry at the University of
Vermont. Unable to find work in the
field that would allow him to remain
in his home state, he applied and is still
employed as a service technician at
Cody Chevrolet-Cadillac in Montpelier.
“I started out as a quick-lube guy. I
was changing oil. I was taking out the
trash. I was cleaning up around the
shop — doing that stuff,” Foster recalls.
“I didn’t really like it, because I would’ve
rather been working on cars. [But]
you’ve got to do something to get your
foot in the door.”
To better prepare for his new career,
Foster enrolled at Lakes Region Community College in Laconia, N.H. Later, he
followed in the footsteps of teacher
Jamie Decato, who earned a silver
medal at the 1996 SkillsUSA nationals.
Foster’s advice for competitors?
“Read the instructions” — something
he says technical committees keep
repeating. And, be sure to pay attention during the contest orientation.
Before his event, Foster learned it would
involve using a Snap-on scanner. “I
wasn’t familiar with this piece of equipment, so I went to the Snap-on booth
at SkillsUSA TECHSPO. The Snap-on rep
invited me to try out the scanner.
“Don’t get too stressed out,” he also
advises. “Stay calm. Take advantage of
all opportunities to connect. Have fun,
smile, laugh and talk to the judges.”
Foster adds that competitors should
try to learn from every person they see.
Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology is a recognized leader in applied
technology education, known for world-class teaching facilities, partnerships with
industry, and a nearly 100% career placement rate.
OSUIT’s degree programs are consistent with emerging market trends and prepare
students to fill a continued demand for highly qualified industry professionals, including:
Natural Gas Compression
Pipeline Integrity Technology
Powerline Technology
Power Plant Technology
Cybersecurity
Information Assurance & Forensics
Diesel & Heavy Equipment
Automotive Technologies
3D Modeling & Animation
Find your future at OSUIT
Apply today at osuit.edu or call 800.722.4471
14
SkillsUSAChampionsWinter2015
RETURNING TO CRIME SCENE:
Investigation, that is. Once a CSI
contestant, Katelyn Hockett (left,
with sister and 2014 national
competitor Kellie Jordan) now
helps train teams at Hermitage
Technical Center in Richmond,
Va. Instructor Lauren-Anne
Sledzinski calls Hockett her key
to having a successful team. •
goldstandard
Competing in TeamWorks
Made Their Dream Work
A variety of daunting obstacles would’ve led many to deem the
goal of these two instructors unattainable. Soon, those who
didn’t believe they could do it wouldn’t believe what they did.
Photo:LloydWolf
D
By Tom Kercheval
uring the awards ceremony of the
2014 SkillsUSA Championships,
Vermont’s TeamWorks team waited nearly
three nervous hours to hear the results of
their performance. They thought they’d
done well but didn’t dare to hope. After
all, they weren’t like the other teams.
“Once you don’t get bronze, you get a
little disappointed,” says Mike Bugbee,
an electrical instructor from St. Johnsbury Academy and one of the team’s two
advisors. “Then silver comes and goes,
and you know it’s over.” Not quite.
TeamWorks tests the carpentry, electrical, plumbing and masonry skills of a
four-member team. Bugbee had dreamed
of assembling a team since he first saw the
competition in 1999, but his school didn’t
teach plumbing, and no school in Vermont
taught masonry.
Years later, Robert Bosch Tool Corp.
offered support for a TeamWorks event
in Vermont, and the dream was reborn.
Bugbee contacted John Bixby, electrical
and plumbing instructor at Stafford Technical Center in Rutland. Friendly “arch
rivals,” the men had competed against
each other on the SkillsUSA state level for
years. They were about to become allies.
Bugbee would choose two of his
students who excelled in electrical and
carpentry skills, and Bixby would provide
two of his best plumbing students (also
trained in carpentry), one of whom would
be mentored by a local mason. By 2012,
the first team was formed.
But another hurdle loomed: the schools
were more than 100 miles apart. While
other teams practice together for an entire
year, this geographical snag prevented the
team from working together at all until
the state competition. That didn’t stop the
2012 team from placing 14th in the nation.
In 2013, a new team placed sixth. How?
“In [real world] construction, you’re
bringing crews in from different areas to
build a building,” Bixby explains. “They
know their stuff and are professional
enough to work with other crews. We
teach our kids to be able to work with
whoever they find on a site.”
Bugbee adds, “Our students know what
the expectations are in the real world.
That’s what employers want, and that’s
what we teach them.”
Back at the 2014 awards ceremony, those
teaching techniques were validated as
the Vermont team — comprised of Billy
Brinks, Jimmy Jefferson, Ryan Taylor and
Nick Hill (pictured at left) — won the gold.
“Still in disbelief,” Bugbee laughs.
“Total shock,” echoes Bixby.
“Very unexpected,” Hill continues. “It
was fun to be able to come together and
connect as a team.”
“A true team,” Bugbee adds.
•
Winter2015SkillsUSAChampions
15
toolbox
When Looking Ahead
Means Looking Behind
killsUSA is doing something it’s never
done before: enrolling middle-school
students as official members. So, get
ready — as high-school and college/postsecondary members, you may soon find
yourselves pitching the organization to
younger prospects.
As a class, discuss what it is about
SkillsUSA that excites you, that keeps you
involved. What do you hope to get out
of that involvement? Now, answer those
same questions from the perspective of
your younger, middle-school self. What
would have interested you then? What are
the differences between those two sets
of answers? What kind of recruitment
message do you think would work best for
a younger student?
Learn more about SkillsUSA’s middle
school program at: www.skillsusa.org/
programs/middle-school. Also, learn how
your class can mentor middle-school
students with SkillsUSA’s “Student2Student” program at: www.skillsusa.org/
programs/mentoring-student2student.
•
Photo:BobbiPeterson
S
The greatest gifts you can give your
children are the roots of responsibility and
the wings of independence.
Find the photo, win a prize
— DEnis WaiTlEy
No, the picture on the left isn’t abstract art. It’s actually a distorted part of
another photo in this issue. Find the original photo and send us the page
number where it appears to win a SkillsUSA sport duffel bag (first prize)
or travel mug (second prize). To enter, email your answer, name, address
and phone number to: anyinfo@skillsusa.org (include “Photo Contest” in
the subject line). Or, send to: SkillsUSA Photo Contest, 14001 SkillsUSA Way,
Leesburg, VA 20176. One first- and one second-prize winner will be drawn
at random from the correct entries. Entries must be received by Jan. 15.
Congratulations to last issue’s winners: Shawn Alsager of Warner Robins, Ga.,
and Bentley Porterfield of Anniston, Ala.
•
16
SkillsUSAChampionsWinter2015
spotlight
VETERANS
HONORED
FOR SERVICE
Building smiles with Legos
H
killsUSA members at Thomas A.
Edison Career and Technical
Academy in Elizabeth, N.J., held a
luncheon for 20 veterans from the New
Jersey Veterans Memorial Home in
Menlo Park. Culinary arts students
prepared the meals and presented the
vetarans with certificates honoring them
for their military service.
“The students who participated were
proud of the success of their event,” says
Penelope Hudeen, teacher and SkillsUSA
advisor, who adds they’re working on
ways to improve the next luncheon.
Photo:ThomasEdisonCareerandTechnicalAcademy.
Usedwithpermission.
•
Photo:CanadianValleyTechnologyCenter.
Usedwithpermission.
S
aving once stayed at the Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital in
Bethany, Okla., Rebecca Heiderstadt didn’t hesitate when fellow student
Jennifer Taylor asked her to help bring a fun activity to the center. Heiderstadt had suffered an aneurysm at age 11 and spent time there relearning
how to walk and talk. Taylor thought up the weeklong Building Pals project,
in which one large jar was filled with Legos and patients guessed how many
were in the jar. The closest guess won the large jar, and smaller jars were also
filled with Legos for
each participant. Both
Taylor and Heiderstadt,
SkillsUSA members at
Canadian Valley Technology Center’s El Reno
campus, presented their
project in the national
Community Action
competition.
•
A showcase
of champions
displayedtheirbrassgrandfatherclockduring
New Jersey students honor veterans.
DracutOldHomeDay,thecommunity’s
Bioterrorism drill
largestevent,whereattendancetops15,000.
The Nashville, Tenn., Metro Public
Health Department, with Tennessee
State University and other agencies,
conducted a bioterrorism drill using
McGavock High School as one of two
staging areas. In conjunction with the
drill, SkillsUSA members portrayed
“infected” patients who were instructed
to go to simulated safe rooms. Later that
same week, students adopted a zombie
theme to represent the contagion. See
their Community Service contest Prezi
presentation and YouTube video at: www.
prezi.com/bu8lajnr_vwj/untitled-prezi/.
•
MetalfabricationstudentsfromGreater
LowellTechnicalHighSchoolinTyngsboro
Photo:GreaterLowellTe
chnicalHighSchool.
Usedwithpermission.
SkillsUSAMassachusettsgoldmedalists
builttheclockforthe2014stateSkillsUSA
Championships.Healthservicesstudentsdisplayedtheirownprojecton
sports-relatedconcussions,whichwongoldatthestateCareerPathways
Showcasecompetitionandplacedfourthatnationals.Allthemedalists
sharedtheresearchbehindtheirprojectsandhowtheybecamewinners.They
alsoofferedfreeface-paintingforchildren.
•
image
S
killsUSA Champions features our members’ photography. We’re looking for images of SkillsUSA chapters in action, or ones that
show individual members’ concentration or perseverance. For details, email thall@skillsusa.org (put “Image Photo” in the subject
header) or write SkillsUSA Champions, 14001 SkillsUSA Way, Leesburg, VA 20176. The photographer’s chapter is awarded $150.
•
Photo:AlexandraPasquale
Eric Pellizzari judges the
culinary event at the
New York state SkillsUSA
Championships. Photography student Alexandra
Pasquale of Eastern
Monroe Career Center in
Fairport, N.Y., captured
his concentration. Her
SkillsUSA advisor is Sulyn
Bennett-Hennessey.
I think SkillsUSA
pushes the advisor as
much as it pushes the
students to strive to
be the best.
Ryan Gortney, instructor,
Elkhart (Ind.) Area
Career Center
18
SkillsUSAChampionsWinter2015
SkillsUSA gives people like me, in the trades, somewhere to shine. We keep this country moving, but
we don’t always get the recognition we deserve.
SkillsUSA gives us that time in the spotlight.
Neal Foster of Montpelier, Vt., national gold
medalist in Automotive Service Technology
WITH 50 SOLID
YEARS BEHIND US,
SUPPORT OUR
AMBITIOUS STEPS
FORWARD.
P
urchase your own custom-engraved
paver for the walkway of SkillsUSA’s
National Leadership Center. Commemorate
your SkillsUSA experience or honor a cherished
mentor and become part of SkillsUSA forever.
SkillsUSA’s National Leadership Center
is located in Leesburg, Virginia, approximately 50 miles
northwest of our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.
The building houses the SkillsUSA staff and historical
displays. Along with welcoming influential visitors such
as industry executives, manufacturers and VIPs from
education and government, it has meeting space for
student, teacher and business conferences.
As we celebrate our 50th anniversary of empowering
our members to become world-class workers, leaders
and responsible American citizens, here’s your
chance to help us build for the future, brick by brick.
Choose the brick-pricing category that best showcases
your commitment to SkillsUSA:
Corporations / State Associations $500
Individual Adult $100
Individual Student $50
To purchase your paver and to learn more about
this perpetual campaign, please visit:
www.skillsusa.org/store/pavers
Paver Campaign Partner
For more information, please contact Christen Battaglia at
cbattaglia@skillsusa.org or call 703-737-0627.
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