Katy ISD Students Excel at SkillsUSA State Conference, Secure Spot in National Championships
Katy ISD's Miller Career and Technology Center (MCTC) is celebrating the tremendous success of six students who took home first place at the SkillsUSA State Conference in Corpus Christi, ensuring their ticket to the 2024 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference.
These students, namely Sebastian Ortiz (Dental Assisting), David Townsend and Muhammad Yousaf (Mechatronics), Alex Hernandez and Patrick Raynal (Robotics and Automation Technology), and London Sewell (Early Childhood Education), have had a hyper-focused academic year, devoted to enhancing their respective skills.
Hailing their achievement, MCTC Manufacturing Engineering Instructor, Dallas Bergstrom, expressed his enthusiasm about the expansion of MCTC's SkillsUSA program and the extensive real-world experiences it presents for their students. “Participating in our SkillsUSA initiative equips students with invaluable networking and leadership development, fostering connections with fellow peers and industry partners, both within our state and nationwide,” said Bergstrom.
Sebastian Ortiz, SkillsUSA Satte Champion in Dental Assisting. (Source: Katy ISD)The high-stakes state competition saw 127 Katy ISD students go up against thousands of participants in over 100 occupational and leadership skill areas, with several students securing Top 3 spots in their categories. To view a comprehensive list of the Katy ISD participating students, click here.
Every year, SkillsUSA chapters submit activities representative of personal skills, workplace skills, and technical skills grounded in academics. The submissions undergo a scoring and ranking process, with the Manufacturing Engineering chapter of MCTC winning gold in Texas. These winners are being evaluated for their participation in the national competition.
The SkillsUSA Championships, as per its official website, is a year-long process that begins at the local level and ends at the national level. Local victors progress to district or regional competitions, pitting their skills against competitors from various schools. State gold medalists then secure a place at the national SkillsUSA Championships held each June, where they stand a chance to win scholarships, tools of their trade, and even job offers right off the competition floor.
The 2024 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference is set to take place in Atlanta, Georgia, from June 24 to 28, where the first-place winners from MCTC will represent Katy ISD on a national platform.
By Tiffany Krenek, My Neighborhood News 
 |
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region. |
