LPS students shine in SkillsUSA state events

Lincoln Public Schools students struck gold, silver and bronze this spring when they competed at the Nebraska SkillsUSA State Leadership Conference.
 
High school students from East, North Star, Northeast and The Career Academy (TCA) minted medal-winning moments during their trip to Grand Island. They met hundreds of fellow SkillsUSA members from across Nebraska and voted for new state officers. They also took part in dozens of competitive events ranging from additive manufacturing to welding sculpture.
 
East teacher Allyn Gonsor advises the school’s SkillsUSA chapter. He said the state trip provided a great way for all LPS students and staff to showcase their classroom knowledge.
 
“It was a very rewarding feeling to watch these SkillsUSA students work so hard throughout the school year and end up finishing towards the top in the state,” Gonsor said. “Witnessing their joy of success after a long weekend of competition is worth all the time and effort as an advisor.”
 
Alyssa Jones, Cade Henke, Jaxson Fleming, Vedah Henrichs, Gage Kildare and Kelton Smith earned state medals for Northeast. Jones and Henrichs led the Rockets with state championships in their categories. Jones finished in first place in the aviation maintenance contest and Henrichs placed first in the technical drafting event.
 
North Star students Jacob Kitten and Elizabeth Rik each brought home state titles for the Navigators. Kitten won the job skill demonstration contest and Rik finished first in the pin contest.
 
Thomas Cerny, Blake Fielder, Grant Christensen and Tobias Fisher all won medals for East. The four Spartans left the conference with bronze medals in their events.
 
State leaders called the names of TCA students many times during the awards ceremony. Advisor Tom Wheeldon led a chapter that included 14 medal winners in eight categories. Abby Steele, Dilyn Ryan, Hudson Miron, Titus Miron, Anthony Williams, Max Schessler, Austin Kamm, Chloe Inbody, Chase Dubas, Kennedy Bahm, Madison Fields, Caleb Prestwich, Preston Nicholls and Sapphire Guzman secured honors for TCA.
 
Steele earned a state championship in culinary arts, Hudson Miron won a title in cabinetmaking and Williams claimed first place in computer programming. Fields captured a championship in the internetworking category, and Kamm won a title in the agriculture job skill demonstration contest.
 
Bahm, Dubas and Inbody also teamed up for a title. They used their agriculture and food knowledge to win the career pathways showcase team championship.
 
All state gold medalists earned spots in the National Leadership and Skills Conference. Students from across the country will gather at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta for SkillsUSA action June 24-28.
 
LPS offers many career and technical education organizations such as SkillsUSA for students to participate in. The organizations allow students to expand their knowledge by applying academic and technical learning to real-life scenarios. They are part of a larger CTE umbrella at LPS that includes opportunities in many academic subjects.

The following LPS students finished first, second or third at the Nebraska SkillsUSA State Leadership Conference.

East

Mobile Robotics Technology – Thomas Cerny, Blake Fielder – Third Place
Robotics: Urban Search and Rescue – Grant Christensen, Tobias Fisher – Third Place

North Star

Job Skill Demonstration – Jacob Kitten – First Place (State-Only Contest)
Pin Contest – Elizabeth Rik – First Place (State-Only Contest)

Northeast

Aviation Maintenance – Alyssa Jones – First Place (National Qualifier)
Photography – Cade Henke – Second Place
Power Equipment Technology – Jaxson Fleming – Second Place
Technical Drafting – Vedah Henrichs – First Place (National Qualifier)
Television (Video) Production – Gage Kildare, Kelton Smith – Second Place

The Career Academy

Culinary Arts – Abby Steele – First Place (National Qualifier)
Culinary Arts – Dilyn Ryan – Second Place
Cabinetmaking – Hudson Miron – First Place (National Qualifier)
Cabinetmaking – Titus Miron – Third Place
Computer Programming – Anthony Williams – First Place (National Qualifier)
Computer Programming – Max Schessler – Second Place
Agriculture Job Skill Demonstration – Austin Kamm – First Place (National Qualifier)
Career Pathways Showcase: Natural Resources/Ag/Food – Chloe Inbody, Chase Dubas, Kennedy Bahm – First Place (National Qualifier)
Internetworking – Madison Fields – First Place (National Qualifier)
Masonry – Caleb Prestwich – Second Place
Masonry – Preston Nicholls – Third Place
Job Interview – Sapphire Guzman – Third Place

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