NGTC Has Successful SkillsUSA State Event

Students in a variety of programs at North Georgia Technical College claimed a total of 28 medals at the recent Georgia State SkillsUSA competition held in March.

In June, the eight students who achieved first place at the state level will travel to the national contest in Louisville, Kentucky.

Also for the first time in several years, a North Georgia Technical College student holds a state office.

This year, 40 students from 18 programs at the college competed in 26 events.

Along with them, SkillsUSA officers from North Georgia Technical College participated in the state-wide campaign, and Georgia Zumwalt was elected as an officer for the SkillsUSA Georgia State Chapter.

Fellow NGTC student Brad Budd has already served as a state officer and is now eligible to run for a national position at the June National Leadership and Skills Conference.

Among those traveling to Louisville this year will be Allen Mull of Clarkesville, Briana Bramlett of Toccoa, Makayla Stewart of Clarkesville.

Georgia Zumwalt will also be at the National Leadership and Skills Conference as a SkillsUSA Georgia State Board Officer.

SkillsUSA is a national career and technical student organization with chapters at high schools and colleges across the country.

According to North Georgia Tech, the contests are planned by technical committees made up of representatives of labor and management in the industries and are designed to test the skills needed for a successful entry-level performance in given occupational fields.

The school goes on to say that safety practices and procedures – an area of great concern to labor and management alike – are judged and graded and constitute a portion of a contestant’s score.

Placing second in their competitions were Clayton Smith of Eastanollee in Automotive Service Technology, Justin Benfield of Baldwin in CNC Turning Specialist, Susie Berry of Cleveland in Job Interview, Michael Allen of Lawrenceville in Marine Service Technology, Michelle Brewer of Clayton in Medical Assisting, and Megan Shead of Appling in Photography. Two teams also took silver: the Digital Cinema Photography team with Georgia Zumwalt of Jefferson and Shannon LaCava of Marietta, and the Automated Manufacturing Technology team of Charles Billings of Cornelia, Roger Boles of Royston, and Darryl Garrett of Clarkesville.

Students who achieved a bronze medal included John Dodson of Cornelia in Criminal Justice, Ashley Duncan of Clarkesville in Culinary Arts, Sergio Torres of Cornelia in Electrical Construction Wiring, Katerina English of Homer in Esthetics, Statom Willis of Gainesville in Marine Service Technology, and the Crime Scene Investigation Team with Kimberly Gunter of Demorest, Karla Orozco of Baldwin, and Shanteria Wheeler of Toccoa.

Colt Voyles of Carnesville will compete in the Welding contest in Cordele, Georgia, on Friday, April 17.

Also testing their skills at the State level this year were Phyllis Mitchell of Cornelia in Cosmetology, Charles Lee III of Homer in HVACR, Joshua Jutz of Cleveland in Industrial Motor Control, Briana Gore of Eastanollee and Silvia Luis of Mt. Airy both in Medical Terminology, Amber Lewis of Mountain City in Nail Care, Kevin Kellas of Dahlonega in Photography, and the Mechatronics team consisting of Beverly Edwards of Martin and Jason Swanson of Hiawassee. NGTC SkillsUSA Officer Pamela Jones accompanied the group to assist with campaigning while Savannah Ramey of Toccoa went as the Esthetics model for Katerina English and Melinda Vandiver of Clayton went as the Nail Care model for Amber Lewis.

David Loudermilk of Mt. Airy competed in the CNC Milling Specialist contest, however, the results of that contest were unavailable at press time.