A gift shop T-shirt in Kansas City last week read, “Welcome to Fabulous Kansas City. What Happens in Kansas City…doesn’t really matter.” A typical Friday night in the Heartland might seem ordinary, but what happened last Friday mattered for northern Utah students, and for the economy. Over 15,000 high school and adult students filled Kemper Arena to capacity, all dressed in crisp matching uniforms to receive national championship awards from the annual SkillsUSA competition held there. Attendees and students alike described the event as electrifying. Regional SkillsUSA coordinator Jennifer Streker said, “You have to see it to believe it. There is nothing that compares to this event anywhere. I actually got goose bumps at the ceremony.”

OWATC sent a contingent of 29 students, instructors, and support staff to the competition in hopes of bringing home gold medals. The students delivered, returning to Ogden with two national titles, one silver, and four bronze medals. Both gold medals from OWATC went to non-traditional students: Katie Leslie had a three-peat, bringing her third straight national gold medal in Sheet Metal, an almost unheard-of streak. It is also an unusual distinction for a slender, bubbly female like Leslie to dominate a field like sheet metal. Rallison is a high school Dental Assisting student, a program that is typically filled with women. He plans to use his championship segue into dental school after he completes high school.

Dental instructor, Brenda Fell beamed about Rallison on the plane ride home. She mused, “He’s a smart student, but the main reason he is here is his determination. He was studying the entire plane ride to Kansas City, and asking me to quiz him right up until the day of his competition. He was excited to tell me that the judges asked some of the exact things we had gone over right before the competition.”

Although Utah is a smaller state, it brought home 18 gold medals, more than any other state. State SkillsUSA Director, Curtis Barnett said, “When I went to pick up the packet someone said to just look for the thickest one.” Utah brought a total of 18 gold medals, 10 silver, and 10 bronze. The vast majority were adult students, with only three of the 38 medals going to high school students. Barnett challenged the state leaders to focus on the state’s high school programs next year. Utah has a strong ATC and community college system, which fills 68% of Utah’s jobs. With record-low unemployment, companies need workers who are ready to work in high-paying technical occupations right out of high school. Ron Kusina, of Weber Economic Development Corporation stressed the tremendous need in Northern Utah. “The number one thing our companies need right now is skilled workers. This need has always been high, but today it is by far the most pressing issue. We have one of the finest technical colleges in the country with OWATC, and we need to use that expertise in our high school system.”

This year 20,000 people came to Kansas City where high school and adult students compete in the national SkillsUSA competition, formerly known as VICA. The SkillsUSA Championship is considered the largest single day of corporate volunteerism in America and is valued at $30 million in industry support of donated time, equipment, cash and material. Students compete against each other and the clock, proving their expertise in occupations like sheet metal, machining, medical assisting, and culinary arts.

OWATC’s national contestants and winners are:

Automated Manufacturing Technologies
Dyllan Chartier (Bronze)
Steve Goecherirz (Bronze)
Deven Garner (Bronze)

Dental Assisting
Keisha Hardy (Silver)
Tyler Rallison (Gold)

Medical Assisting
Kristie Morfin (Bronze)

Residential Wiring
Landon Sparks

CNC Turning
Spencer Poll

Cosmetology
Alexa Millett

Industrial Motor Controls
Bruce Musgrave

Masonry
Davis Torres
John Gabel

Sheet Metal
Katie Leslie (Gold)
Michael Gordon

For more information contact:

Rhonda Boren,
OWATC Director of Marketing and Public Relations
(801) 627-8389
borenr@owatc.edu

Jennifer Streker,
OWATC Program Director, Regional SkillsUSA coordinator
(801) 540-3432
strekerj@owatc.edu

Brenda Fell,
OWATC Dental Assisting Instructor
(801) 627-8444
fellb@owatc.edu

Katie Leslie,
OWATC Student, Sheet Metal National Champion
Work: (801) 520-9595

Tyler Rallison,
OWATC Student, Dental Assisting National Champion
(801) 663-6451

Curtis Barnett,
Salt Lake Community College,
State SkillsUSA Director
(801) 301-1672

Ron Kusina,
Executive Director
Weber Economic Development Corporation
(801) 621-8300
ron@echamber.cc

SkillsUSA Conference Media Kit: http://www.skillsusa.org/about/mediakit.shtml