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KACC Students Excel!

SkillsUSA-State Competition Results

“SkillsUSA has made me more business minded…I began to look at Skills as perfect practice for the real world…I am grateful for SkillsUSA and its mission of preparing students for practical implementation of leadership in all career fields.”  Jake Hines – Senior at Herscher High School.

KACC students once again made their presence known at the state-wide SkillsUSA Competition in Springfield last weekend. According to KACC Director, Don Fay, this competition is the “Scholastic bowl for Career and Technical Education (CTE).”

Not only does this competition require students to demonstrate occupational knowledge and technical skills, the competitions are designed to discern the students’ knowledge of leadership skills and what it takes to be successful and work well with others. 

Each and every course offered at the Career Center encourages students to consider participating in SkillsUSA.  Regardless of who does participate, all students at the Career Center receive a balanced education in occupational knowledge, technical hands-on skill development, and leadership and employability skills.  In fact, each and every day, students receive a grade on the hard and “soft” skills demonstrated in their classroom. 

At the state level, there were over 1,000 students competing in 19 occupational areas. At the annual national-level championships, this coming June, there will be over 4,600 students to compete in 84 occupational and leadership skill areas.

According to KACC Principal, Bosa Goodale, “Our reputation for dominating the state competition is well known.”  Assistant Principal, Matthew Kelley, went to the State Competition for the first time ever.  Mr. Kelley was extremely impressed with the students, how hard they worked.  

As usual, KACC students performed exceptionally well.  The majority of the students (75%) not only placed in the top 10 in the State of Illinois, KACC will once again be sending students on to National Competition – a distinction only for those who place FIRST in the State. Our second-place finishers earn the honor of being an alternate for National Competition.  The National SkillsUSA competition will be held the last week of June in Kansas City, Missouri.

According to SkillsUSA mentor, Christopher Morse, “Our students always seem to rise to the occasion.  They handle themselves within and outside of the competitions in a professional manner.  It is a privilege to accompany them to Springfield and watch them compete.

KACC’s SkillsUSA coordinators, Sharon Barnard, Cosmetology Instructor, Lucas Papineau, Computer Technology Instructor and Chris Morse, Collision Repair Instructor are delighted to announce the names of those students earning such prestigious honors.

The following group of students earned Gold Medals and an invitation to compete at National SkillsUSA  in June in Kansas City, MO (Note:  Some students earned a first place in multiple competitions!):

The following Career Center Students won Medals in the following competitions:

The students listed below placed within the Top 10 in the State of Illinois!

Jake Wayner, a junior from Manteno High School, said his first year at SkillsUSA was great preparation for next year’s competitions.  He commented it is a “great opportunity to improve and test your skills you learned in class.” 

Another junior, Perla Villagomez from Bishop McNamara stated she was happy to be a part of an organization “this big that helps so many individuals go through life after high school and apply their skills in the workplace.”  She said even though she ranked 3^rd place, “It didn’t matter, I still felt that I was the best with my hard work.”

Business Technology Student and a senior from Beecher High School, Joe Volney won first place for his Personal Narrative.  His narrative did address SkillsUSA, stating he did not “realize…the real magnitude of the opportunity that SkillsUSA Offered…I had no idea what I would be good at or that this would be anything that would impact my future the way it has.”

Joe Volek, a senior from Beecher High School put it really well when he wrote “Kids from our small school, in the middle of nowhere representing the State of Illinois!!”  Joe and the other first-place finishers have earned the right to represent the State of Illinois at National Competition.

Best of luck at Nationals!