Tennessee postsecondary students win 57 medals at 2024 SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference

Career and technical education students from Tennessee colleges and postsecondary programs won 57 medals as they demonstrated excellence in dozens of technical and leadership skills competitions at the 2024 SkillsUSA Championships, part of the annual SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta.

Tennessee college/postsecondary students brought home 29 gold (first-place) medals, 21 silver (second-place) medals, and seven bronze (third-place) medals. All 29 gold medals, all seven bronze and 18 of the 21 silver awards were won by students at Tennessee Board of Regents institutions – the state’s public community and technical colleges. There were 132 students representing 26 institutions from Tennessee’s SkillsUSA college/postsecondary division competing in 83 of the 115 different technical, career and leadership competitions.

With 57 medals, Tennessee ranked second this year in the overall number of medals won at the college/postsecondary level – only one behind the 58 won by Georgia postsecondary students.

SkillsUSA’s National Leadership & Skills Conference is the largest gathering of students who comprise America’s future skilled workforce. The annual week-long conference is the ultimate recognition of excellence in career and technical education. Overall, the event brings together more than 16,000 attendees, including students, instructors, industry partners, government officials, administrators and more. The conference is for middle school, high school and college-level students who are members of SkillsUSA. Students compete in their respective school levels.

“I am so proud of the accomplishments of our Tennessee students,” said Daphne Brown, SkillsUSA Tennessee Postsecondary state director and director of CTE student engagement at the Tennessee Board of Regents. “Tennessee postsecondary students placed in the top four in 41 of the 83 contests they competed in against students from across the nation, which means they placed in the top four in nearly half of those competitions – showcasing the exceptional quality of career and technical education provided by Tennessee colleges.”

SkillsUSA’s competitions test student competencies in their fields and are run with the help of industry, trade associations, labor organizations and others. In addition, leadership contestants demonstrate their skills, including extemporaneous speaking and conducting meetings using parliamentary procedure.

Among Tennessee Board of Regents institutions, SkillsUSA students from Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Chattanooga won the medal count, bringing home 12 medals overall (11 gold and 1 silver) – followed by TCAT Hartsville with 7 medals, TCAT Memphis and TCAT Morristown with 6 each, Pellissippi State Community College with 5, Northeast State Community College, TCAT Henry/Carroll and TCAT Jackson with 2 each, and Volunteer State Community College, TCAT Athens, TCAT Crump, TCAT Harriman, TCAT Hohenwald, TCAT Knoxville, TCAT Northwest, TCAT Oneida/Huntsville, TCAT Pulaski, and TCAT Upper Cumberland with 1 each. Students at two independent institutions in the state also won medals: Southern Adventist University and Resource Valley Construction Training Council.

Also at the national conference, the SkillsUSA chapters at two TBR colleges – TCATs Chattanooga and Pulaski – were recognized for their selection in April as Models of Excellence for 2024, the highest honor bestowed on chapters. They were among only 24 chapters from across the nation selected and the only college-level institutions selected in the Technical Skills category.

Tennessee also earned the award for the largest membership increase in its SkillsUSA college/postsecondary division – moving from 10,111 student and faculty members last year to 14,448 members this year – the largest Tennessee membership ever and the largest state delegation in the U.S.

The complete list of medalists from across the nation is here. Tennessee postsecondary students who earned medals at the 2024 national conference:

GOLD MEDALS

Career Pathways-Human Services: Team of Edward Sanford Jr., Zedrrick Woods, Charles Davis, TCAT Memphis

Career Pathways-Industrial & Engineering Technology: Team of Joseph Griffith, Trevor Massengale, Craig Heaton, TCAT Harriman

CNC 3-Axis Milling Programmer: William Young, TCAT Athens

Community Service: Team of Tia Bowers, Kam Johnson, D’Andre Johnson, TCAT Chattanooga

Employment Application Process: Alissya Popoca, TCAT Chattanooga

Information Technology Services: Christopher Young, TCAT Morristown

Internet of Things-Smart Home: Gabe Dunn, Pellissippi State Community College

Internetworking: Joshua Kesler, TCAT Morristown

Nurse Assisting: Benton Fowler, TCAT Upper Cumberland

Occupational Health & Safety: Team of Osvaldo Utrera-San Juan, Angelito Gonzalez, Logan White, TCAT Hartsville

Opening & Closing Ceremonies: Team of Matthew Nelson, Daeja Beckom, Sarah Kirk, Breanna Holloway, Amanda Sovago-Royal, Emmalea Linebarger, Breanna Foster, TCAT Chattanooga

Pin Design: Lollie Brown, TCAT Henry/Carroll

Plumbing: James Banks, TCAT Jackson

Principles of Engineering Technology: Markus Zhuk, Volunteer State Community College

Residential & Commercial Appliance Technology: Brian Matthews, TCAT Jackson

SILVER

3D Visualization & Animation: Team of Alanna Murphy, Jadon Devito, Pellissippi State Community College

Aviation Maintenance Technology: Camden Kupres, TCAT Morristown

Career Pathways-Health Science: Team of Robert Artis, Lontriona Ferguson, Alexis Stevenson, TCAT Memphis

Collision Damage Appraisal: Tanner Norris, TCAT Knoxville

Computer Programming: Dow Dox, Northeast State Community College

Engineering Technology-Design: Team of Joseph Hinkel, Roasha Odom, Dalton Leonard, TCAT Morristown

Health Knowledge Bowl: Team of James Latimer, Jessica Rager-Hardwick, Reva Prusynski, Paige Hinkle, TCAT Hartsville

Job Interview: Shelby Defore, TCAT Chattanooga

Masonry: Philip Singleton, Resource Valley Construction Training Council, Knoxville

Medical Math: Savannah Qualman, TCAT Pulaski

Technical Drafting: Trevor Eller, Northeast State Community College

Web Design & Development: Team of Sam Tooley, Caeden Scott, Southern Adventist University

BRONZE

Advertising Design: Brody Scott, TCAT Crump

Commercial Roofing: Hunter Hamilton, TCAT Henry/Carroll

Digital Cinema Production: Team of Hamilton Baker, Harrison Huber, Pellissippi State Community College

Electronics Technology: Ashlyn Carroll, TCAT Hohenwald

Practical Nursing: Marcus Millbrook, TCAT Northwest

Welding Sculpture: Joleian Williams, TCAT Oneida/Huntsville