Tennessee students earn 52 medals at 2025 SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference

Tennessee community and technical college students earned a total of 52 medals across several career and technical education championship competitions at the 2025 SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta.

Representing 24 colleges across Tennessee, 150 students competed in 84 of the 110 competitions and brought 27 gold, 9 silver and 16 bronze medals home to five community colleges and nine Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) across the state. Medalists are listed below.

“The results were exceptional. Including the medalists, Tennessee students placed in the top 10 in 69 of the 84 contests they entered – 82 percent – and placed in the top five in more than half – underscoring the remarkable quality of Tennessee’s career and technical education programs,” said Daphne Brown, SkillsUSA Tennessee postsecondary state director and director of CTE student engagement at the Tennessee Board of Regents.

In addition to medals, 58 Tennessee students earned Skills Point Certificates, awarded to competitors who meet or exceed industry-defined benchmarks.

And Tanner Ashlock, a student at TCAT Henry/Carroll, was elected as a SkillsUSA national officer. Candidates for national office run at large, and the winners later elect officers for specific positions. Tanner also serves on the SkillsUSA state officers team as Tennessee college/postsecondary treasurer.

The Tennessee college/postsecondary delegation to the 2025 SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta included 255 students, advisors, guests, and state staff. Students who competed in the national competitions had previously won gold medals in the SkillsUSA Tennessee State Leadership & Skills Conference in April.

Tennessee also received recognition for having the largest college/postsecondary membership in the nation, with over 16,200 members statewide.

Held annually in Atlanta, the National Leadership & Skills Conference is the ultimate recognition of excellence in career and technical education, bringing together nearly 18,000 students, instructors, business partners, and administrators to celebrate the accomplishments of those preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations.

The championships are a highlight of the conference, with thousands of students from across the nation competing hands-on in more than 100 different trade, technical, career and leadership competitions – such as electronics, computer-aided drafting, precision machining, medical assisting, culinary arts and dozens more. Leadership contestants showcase their speaking skills, demonstrate how to conduct meetings using parliamentary procedure, and more.

On the final day of the conference, SkillsUSA members joined forces in the “Complete the Cycle” community service project. Students assembled 80 bicycles, which were donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta.

For the Tennessee delegation, the conference concluded with a SkillsUSA Tennessee College/Postsecondary Celebration Banquet, celebrating medalists and honoring those who contributed to Tennessee’s success, including more than 100 advisors who participated. The Outstanding Advisor of the Year Award was presented to Donald Drinkard of TCAT Henry/Carroll.

Tennessee medalists in the national competitions, by college:

Chattanooga State Community College:

       Principles of Engineering Technology – Bronze – David Perez

 Motlow State Community College:

       Emergency Medical Technician – Gold – Aaron Gallegos & Dalton Nall

Northeast State Community College:

       Collision Damage Appraisal – Silver – Emmalee Johnson

       Cyber Security – Bronze – Austin Castle & Neal Fleck

       Job Skill Demonstration – Gold – Ameris Bleckley

 Pellissippi State Community College:

       Audio Production – Gold – Liam Cumesty & Madison Harris

       Extemporaneous Speaking – Silver – Louis Rey Valenzuela II

       Graphic Communications – Bronze – Maria Carraseo

       Telecommunications Cabling – Silver – Gabe Dunn

       Video Production – Silver – Luke Brown & Viola Miklos

 Roane State Community College:

       Mechatronics – Bronze – Evan Chow & James Sutherland

Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Chattanooga

       Career Pathways-Human Services – Gold – Taegen Beard, Caylin Fowler & Emilee Rutledge

       Community Service – Bronze – Nicholas Boyd, Derek Dunn & Darrion Mason

       Employment Application Process – Gold – Lucy Nicholson

       First Aid-CPR – Gold – Takara Lawrence

       Job Interview – Bronze – Natalie Garrett

       Job Skill Demonstration Open – Silver – Yolaila Palacios

       Motorcycle Service Technology – Bronze – Parker Barrett

 TCAT Crump:

       Graphic Imaging-Sublimation – Gold – Skye Moffitt

 TCAT Dickson:

       Cosmetology – Bronze – Dixie DeLoach

       Robotics-Urban Search & Rescue – Bronze – Valaria Johannsen & Jacob Rose

 TCAT Hartsville:

       Occupational Health & Safety-Single – Gold – Cole Frye, James Goolsby & Joshua Knight

 TCAT Henry/Carroll:

       Quiz Bowl – Gold – Nicholas Abbott, Nathan Brown, Gavin Lindsey, Edward Morgan, Brantley Nanny & Curtis Swafford

TCAT Morristown:

       Engineering Technology Design – Gold – Leo Kimball, Ayesha Mowell & Jessie Ward

       Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration – Bronze – Morgan Manning

TCAT Northwest:

       American Spirit – Gold – Rachel Alley, Tori Myers, Cassidy Taylor & Taylor Woody

 TCAT Pulaski:

       Career Pathways-Health Science – Silver – Amanda Newton, Kristen Ray &  Marlene Sanchez

 TCAT Upper Cumberland:

       Practical Nursing – Bronze – Benton Fowler