Effingham, IL-(Effingham Radio)- Illinois has a new set of national champions, with young people who have turned their SkillsUSA Illinois experience into the best preparation for success in heavy equipment operation, architectural drafting, cyber security and more in career and technical education and workforce development.
A record 100 students from SkillsUSA Illinois finished in the top 10 at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, held from June 24-28 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The students from 26 Illinois schools competed in a massive Championships session: 115 national career competitions featuring 6,647 students in a competition area of 1.79 million square feet (31 football fields, or 41 acres).
The SkillsUSA Illinois top competitors earned 26 medals against the best national competition, including eight gold medals as national champions:
- Noah Biller (Sheet Metal), Capital Area Career Center in Springfield
- Trevor Vincent (Graphic Imaging Sublimation) and Noah Wynkoop (Diesel Equipment Technology), Illinois Central College in East Peoria
- Cole Willke (Heavy Equipment Operator), Kishwaukee College in Malta
- Emily Do (Architectural Drafting), Lockport Township High School East
- Tyler Olsen (Information Technology Services), Ronan Scott and Carter Williamson (Cyber Security), Pekin Community High School in Pekin
A full list of SkillsUSA Illinois’ Top-10 finishers is included below. Much more about the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference is available at https://www.nlsc.skillsusa.org/. That website includes a livestream video of the awards ceremony and a detailed description of the weeklong celebration of workforce development preparation. A media kit about the event is here.
All of the SkillsUSA Illinois first competed at local and regional levels, then advanced to the state championships in Peoria in late April. Illinois brought more than 300 students from the state championships to Atlanta for the national competition.
Like the state championships, the national competition tests students’ skills and preparation as the culmination of a year of hands-on career and technical education (CTE). Industry partners, trade associations and labor organizations volunteer to judge career competitions where students lay bricks, repair engines, practice hairdressing and much more against the clock and their counterparts from schools across Illinois, and ultimately across the country.
SkillsUSA programming is supported by a state grant under the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship program. Gov. JB Pritzker approved $10 million in extra funding in the state budget that took effect in July, and SkillsUSA Illinois expects to use new funding to expand its successful programming into new schools and communities starting this fall.
For SkillsUSA Illinois’ leadership, the Atlanta visit is a chance to both celebrate students’ hard work and the exciting progress Illinois is making to invest in young people’s career success.
“We are ecstatic to see the tremendous results of our students, and to have so many perform at the top of their fields against thousands of their peers from across the United States,” SkillsUSA Illinois Executive Director Eric Hill said. “Regardless of their field of study, our students have shown a determination and passion to perform under pressure that will open many doors for them to succeed, hopefully right here in Illinois. We thank Gov. Pritzker, the Legislature and our many partners in Illinois – from Caterpillar and the City of Peoria to our employers and labor organizations – who wholeheartedly support our mission and help us reach more students to provide more life-changing opportunities. The SkillsUSA experience is thriving and growing, and we are excited for what is ahead.”
PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS
Central Illinois
- Bloomington Area Career Center – Bloomington, IL
- Brynn Hoder (Pin Design), 2nd Place
- Jayla Westhoff (Cosmetology), 4th Place
- Clinton Junior High School – Clinton, IL
- Christopher Morge (Robotics: Urban Search and Rescue), 6th Place
- Nate Tull (Robotics: Urban Search and Rescue), 6th Place
- Illinois Central College – East Peoria, IL
- Noah Wynkoop (Diesel Equipment Technology), 1st Place
- Trevor Vincent (Graphic Imaging Sublimation), 1st Place
- Morton High School – Morton, IL
- Emma Belsly (Additive Manufacturing), 3rd Place
- Ethan Cross (Additive Manufacturing), 3rd Place
- Heartland Community College – Normal, IL
- Tallon Short (T-Shirt Design), 6th Place
- Andy Irving (Telecommunication Cabling), 8th Place
- Pekin Community High School – Pekin, IL
- Carter Williamson (Cyber Security), 1st Place
- Ronan Scott (Cyber Security), 1st Place
- Tyler Olsen (Information Technology Services), 1st Place
- Kent Olson (Mobile Electronics Installation), 4th Place
- Zane Scott (Telecommunication Cabling), 5th Place
- Alexander Holmes (Television Video Production), 6th Place
- Logan Booth (Television Video Production), 6th Place
- Peoria Public Schools – Peoria, IL
- RC Thomas (Community Action Project), 8th Place
- Ryan Medley (Community Action Project), 8th Place
- Carver Community Center – Peoria, IL
- Rayniah Anderson (Job Skill Demonstration OPEN), 6th Place
- Capital Area Career Center – Springfield, IL
- Noah Biller (Sheet Metal), 1st Place
- MacKenzie Miller (T-Shirt Design), 6th Place
Chicago
- Thomas Kelly College Prep – Chicago, IL
- Adrian Uribe (Customer Service), 7th Place
- Armando Perez (Opening and Closing Ceremonies), 7th Place
- Brendan Tang (Opening and Closing Ceremonies), 7th Place
- David Hernandez (Opening and Closing Ceremonies), 7th Place
- Dulce Parades (Opening and Closing Ceremonies), 7th Place
- Esmeralda Pineda (Opening and Closing Ceremonies), 7th Place
- Ethan Li (Opening and Closing Ceremonies), 7th Place
- Marleny Marquez (Opening and Closing Ceremonies), 7th Place
DuPage County (suburban Chicago)
- Technology Center of DuPage – Addison, IL
- Marielle Vega (Nail Care), 5th Place
- Jared Gonzalez (Barbering), 9th Place
- York Community High School – Elmhurst, IL
- Panos Soupos (Technical Drafting), 4th Place
Metro East
- Southwestern Illinois College – Belleville, IL
- Robert Wingerter (CNC 3-Axis Milling Programmer), 4th Place
- Jared Simmons (CNC 2-Axis Turning Programmer), 5th Place
- Zachary Painter (CNC Programmer), 6th Place
- Anna Nichols (Nurse Assisting), 7th Place
- Cody Croxford (Automated Manufacturing Technology), 8th Place
- Jacob Curvey (Automated Manufacturing Technology) 8th Place
- Lucas Gregson (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration), 8th Place
- Mattison Lienemann (Automated Manufacturing Technology), 8th Place
North Suburbs of Chicagoland
- College of Lake County – Grayslake, IL
- Stephany Amador (Criminal Justice), 2nd Place
- Sam Soulari (Culinary Arts), 4th Place
- Tessia Milkie (Early Childhood Education), 6th Place
- Lindsey Clements (Crime Scene Investigation), 7th Place
- Yahaira Garcia (Crime Scene Investigation), 7th Place
- Zulma Mendoza (Crime Scene Investigation), 7th Place
- Lake County Tech Campus – Grayslake, IL
- Allison Wenzel (Career Pathways Showcase: Health Services), 3rd Place
- Ashley Bridges (Career Pathways Showcase: Health Services), 3rd Place
- Nicholas Lunsford (Career Pathways Showcase: Health Services), 3rd Place
- Giovanni Tate (Early Childhood Education), 6th Place
- Keaton Johnson (Emergency Medical Technician), 6th Place
- Max Glusic (Emergency Medical Technician), 6th Place
- Janeth Castanon (Medical Assisting), 7th Place
Northern Illinois
- Kishwaukee Education Consortium – Malta, IL
- Abel Huerta (Job Skill Demonstration A), 2nd Place
- Addison McGlaughlin (Health Occupations Professional Portfolio), 4th Place
- Chris Thorne (Diesel Equipment Technology), 7th Place
- Kishwaukee College – Malta, IL
- Cole Willke (Heavy Equipment Operator), 1st Place
- Lily Goode (Power Equipment Technology), 8th Place
- Carl Sandburg College – Galesburg, IL
- Gavin Gerard (Masonry), 3rd Place
- Brian Kipchemis (Medical Math), 6th Place
- Faith Kiprop (Technical Computer Applications), 7th Place
- Kankakee Area Career Center – Bourbonnais, IL
South Suburbs of Chicago
- Lockport Township High School East – Lockport, IL
- Emily Do (Architectural Drafting), 1st Place
- Krista Wojcikiewicz (Engineering Technology Design), 5th Place
- Lia Merkel (Engineering Technology Design), 5th Place
- Stephen Reuter (Engineering Technology Design), 5th Place
- Abel Torres (TeamWorks), 8th Place
- Bartosz Leja (TeamWorks), 8th Place
- Patrick Jerabek (TeamWorks), 8th Place
- Ryan Ebert (TeamWorks), 8th Place
- Andrew Finley (3-D Visualization and Animation), 10th Place
- Jessica Ing (3-D Visualization and Animation), 10th Place
- Peotone High School – Peotone, IL
- Augustyn Price (Robotics: Urban Search and Rescue), 8th Place
- Xavier Villalobos (Robotics: Urban Search and Rescue), 8th Place
- Peotone Junior High School – Peotone, IL
- Kaleb Schirmer (Team Engineering Challenge), 2nd Place
- Kohen Schirmer (Team Engineering Challenge), 2nd Place
- Quinn McCleverty (Team Engineering Challenge), 2nd Place
- Jaida DeMoss (Prepared Speech), 6th Place
West Suburbs of Chicago
- Metea Valley High School – Aurora, IL
- Ajay Kavuri (Mobile Robotics Technology), 3rd Place
- SaiManidhar Mutyala (Mobile Robotics Technology), 3rd Place
- Nitin Gopala (Medical Math), 3rd Place
- Shunya Patel (Prepared Speech), 5th Place
- Pranav Tummala (Dental Assisting), 10th Place
- West Aurora High School – Aurora, IL
- Diana Garcia (Practical Nursing), 4th Place
- Brian Wolfe (Welding Fabrication), 6th Place
- Max Balsitis (Welding Fabrication), 6th Place
- Daniel Vasquez-Garcia (Automated Manufacturing Technology), 6th Place
- Jayden Crete (CNC Programmer), 7th Place
- Nicholas Morales (Automated Manufacturing Technology), 7th Place
- Tyler Pozzi (Automated Manufacturing Technology), 7th Place
- Oswego High School – Oswego, IL
- Phoenix Goldstein (Restaurant Service), 3rd Place
- Indian Valley Vocational Center – Sandwich, IL
- Charis Davidson (Medical Terminology), 2nd Place
- Brandon Iskowitz (Automotive Maintenance and Light Repair), 6th Place
- Waubonsee Community College – Sugar Grove, IL
- Aleah Sauder (Automotive Refinishing Technology), 2nd Place
- Daniel Conti (Entrepreneurship), 6th Place
- Jake Guernon (Entrepreneurship), 6th Place
- Mark Price (Entrepreneurship), 6th Place
- Ryan Fotre (Entrepreneurship), 6th Place
- Julian Flores (Sheet Metal), 7th Place
- Joshua Kovar (Automotive Service Technology), 8th Place
ABOUT Skills USA Illinois
SkillsUSA Illinois is a state and national membership association serving high school, college, and middle school students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations, including health occupations, and for further education.
SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers, and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA helps each student excel.
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