SkillsUSA Students Win Regional Competition, Advance To State

CANTON, GA -- Cherokee High School SkillsUSA/Career Tech students recently won gold in their regional competition and now are headed to the state competition.

The Warriors SkillsUSA team traveled to Rock Springs at Georgia Northwestern Tech earlier this month for the Region 1 competition for SkillsUSA, a national nonprofit organization serving teachers and high school and college students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations, including health occupations.

The Cherokee students competed in welding fabrication, auto service technology, healthcare science skills demonstration, T-shirt design, job interviewing, collision repair and early childhood development.

Gold first-place winners included: Ashley Green in job skills demonstration in healthcare science; John Hedgecock in automotive service technology; and Mikayle Vaughan in early childhood education. Silver winners included: Austin Ledbetter in collision repair; Darden Holcombe in job skill demonstration in automotive; and the Quiz Bowl team.

They next will compete in March at the State Leadership Conference in Atlanta for scholarships, tools and the opportunity to advance to the national competition in Louisville, Kentucky.

Photo: Celebrating their success are, from left to right, front row: Mikayle Vaughan, John Hedgecock, Wes Veniskey, Armondo Loarca, Ashley Green, Sterling Thompson, Blair Rodriguez, Madison Williams, Bella Lindeborg, Adrianna Allen, Darden Holcombe; back row: Austin Ledbetter, Payton Hodges and teacher Dianne Argonis-Basto. Credit: Cherokee County School District