Tennessee students rack up medals at SkillsUSA national competition

A total of 41 students from 11 College System of Tennessee campuses won medals at the 2018 SkillsUSA National Championship, demonstrating their knowledge and expertise across an array of career and technical skills.

Gold medal winners from the 2018 Tennessee postsecondary SkillsUSA competition, held in March in Chattanooga, traveled with their advisors to Louisville, Ky., last month for the national competition.  The SkillsUSA National Championship is an annual event showcasing the best career and technical education students in the nation.  

Students from across the country competed in 102 separate competitions, which fall under one of 11 broad categories known as “sectors.” Students from the College System of Tennessee won eight gold medals, seven silver medals, and five bronze medals in seven sectors. The medal-winners represented10 Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology and Northeast State Community College. 

Congratulations to all students who represented our state in the national competition!

Gold Medal Winners 

• Samantha Legg, Stephanie Roller, Rachel Henson and Taylor Shockley - Northeast State - Health Knowledge Bowl. (The team was tested on its collective knowledge of health occupations. Students were judged on speed and accuracy in answering questions in nine categories including academic foundations, communication, systems, employability skills, legal responsibility, ethics, safety practices, teamwork and health maintenance.)
• Jacob McGonigle - TCAT Crossville - Telecommunications Cabling 
• Jessica Hicks, Valerie Hicks, Regan Welch - TCAT Crump - Promotional Bulletin Board 
• Will Miller - TCAT Jackson - Medical Terminology
• Ashleigh Rutherford - TCAT Knoxville - Nurse Assisting
• Rachel Haueter - TCAT Knoxville - Practical Nursing
• Casey Dowell - TCAT McKenzie - Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
• April Archibald - TCAT McKenzie - Major Appliance & Refrigeration Technology

Silver Medal Winners 

• Rebekah Farrow, Courtney McKinney, Michaela Rogers - TCAT Chattanooga - Career Pathways - Human Services
• Charlotte Adams, William Weeks, Chantal Simmons, Christa Spain, Brittany Durham - TCAT Chattanooga - Quiz Bowl 
• Christopher Dagnan - TCAT Chattanooga - Technical Computer Applications
• Rebecca Loredo - TCAT Knoxville - Medical Assisting 
• Teresha Rucker-Rankin - TCAT Memphis - Extemporaneous Speaking 
• Ethan Cope, Waldemar Wensell, Joseph Adams - TCAT Morristown - Engineering Technology Design 
• Logan McCommon, Carter Hosey - TCAT Whiteville - Robotics Urban Search and Rescue 

Bronze Medal Winners 

• Damaris Betancourt Ron - TCAT Chattanooga - Employment Application Process
• Brittany Smith - TCAT Chattanooga - Job Interview
• Elizabeth Crawford - TCAT Chattanooga - Job Skill Demonstration 
• Isabelle Bennett, Lynleigh Taylor, Sarah Harper, Julianne Underhill, Vanessa Carter, Ashlynn Mena, Mackenzie Carroll  - TCAT Nashville - Opening and Closing Ceremonies
• William Swaner, Ashton DeZwarte - TCAT Nashville - Additive Manufacturing. (This year's challenge focused on solving a real-life medical problem for a veteran who endured a traumatic thumb amputation on his left hand. Students watched an introductory video to learn about the patient's disability, assessed his current condition and determined how each could design an adaptive device enabling the veteran to continue using his PlayStation 3 gaming system. The winning devices consisted of 3D-printed parts designed to allow the veteran to comfortably use a PlayStation 3 controller, without his current silicone prosthetic.)