Collin College students ranked in all three medal tiers at the Texas SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Conference held earlier this month in Corpus Christi, securing top placements across multiple disciplines.
Fourteen Collin students took home gold medallions and a chance to compete in the upcoming national SkillsUSA competition.
SkillsUSA is a national organization dedicated to developing the country’s workforce through personal, workplace, and technical skills. The organization serves more than 400,000 middle school, high school, and college students annually, with 4,000 local chapters. Its framework aims to help students become job-ready after graduation by providing a better understanding of the skills employers seek.
The organization not only offers training opportunities but also hosts competitions to recognize students’ dedication and excellence in mastering their crafts. This is the fourth year Collin College students have participated in the competition.
Overall, 45 Collin College students participated, many earning gold, silver, and bronze medallions commemorating their accomplishments. The following students from Collin earned medals:
Martin Torres of Blue Ridge – Gold, 3D Visualization and Animation
Lisa Dorman of McKinney – Gold, 3D Visualization and Animation
Ashley Di Bartolo of Celina – Silver, 3D Visualization and Animation
Audrey Hatherly of McKinney – Silver, 3D Visualization and Animation
Laurie Rodriguez of Carrollton – Silver, Advertising Design
Sophie Hardt of Celina – Bronze, Advertising Design
Rafael Luna of Lewisville – Gold, Automotive Refinishing Technology
Christopher Suarez of Flower Mound – Gold, Automotive Service Technology
Anastasia Tucker of Little Elm – Gold, Baking and Pastry Arts
Sarahy Guerrero Castillo of Rockwall – Bronze, Baking and Pastry Arts
Vu Mai of Richardson – Gold, Collision Damage Appraisal
Demarcus Smith of McKinney – Silver, Collision Damage Appraisal
Hector Nevarez of Carrollton – Bronze, Collision Damage Appraisal
Marcelo Vazquez Ochoa of Allen – Gold, Collision Repair Technology
Julian Minjarez of Little Elm – Silver, Collision Repair Technology
Jorge Nava-Reyna of The Colony – Bronze, Collision Repair Technology
Hayden King of Corinth – Gold, Culinary Arts
Rachel Hansen of Celina – Gold, Graphic Communications
Julian Riley of Frisco – Silver, Graphic Communications
Mira Are of Plano – Bronze, Graphic Communications
Macey Loureiro of Plano – Gold, Photography
Bernadette Dozier of Frisco – Silver, Photography
Thao Nguyen of Wylie – Bronze, Photography
Tyler Mathieson of Melissa – Gold, Technical Computer Applications
Rachel Hansen of Celina – Bronze, T-Shirt Design
Damon Marshburn of Trenton – Gold, Welding Fabrication
Alexander Sasser of Plano – Gold, Welding Fabrication
Troy Tirado of Frisco – Gold, Welding Fabrication
The 14 gold medalists are eligible to compete at the national SkillsUSA competition, to be held in Atlanta, June 1-5.
Collin College serves approximately 60,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 200 degrees and certificates, including a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), a Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) in Cybersecurity, a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Construction Management, a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Clinical Operations Management, and a new Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) in Software Development. The only public college based in Collin County, Collin College is a partner to business, government, and industry, providing customized training and workforce development. For more information, visit www.collin.edu.
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Photos by Erin Clark, Collin College Communication Design professor