C-P students score big at Texas SkillsUSA :First-year competitors proud of placings

From Staff Reports

Apr. 12, 2007 - Como-Pickton High School students came home with top honors in one category and three second place wins following the Texas SkillsUSA contest Friday in Corpus Christi. Another team was just two points shy of advancing to the national SkillsUSA competition.

Staff Photo by Angela Pitts

Como-Pickton High School’s Skills Team recently walked away from the Skills USA State Meet with several awards. Skills Team members are, left to right, are: (front) Candy Barnes, Lourdes Morales, Olga Tellez and Shelby Smith; (back) Tony Mercado, Luis Rasgado, Fabian Hernandez, Alberto Gutierrez, Andrea France, Justin Blount, Jose Hernandez, Everardo Perez Jr., Oscar Ramirez and advisor Tony Glasscock.

Lourdes Morales went home from Corpus with first place honors for her cosmetology project, “the notebook,” while Olga Tellez got second place with her Manicane hand.

The picnic table created by Tony Mercado and Jose Hernandez earned second place honors, as did the Podium created by Luis Rasgado, Oscar Ramirez and Fabian Hernandez. 

Shelby Smith, Andrea France, Everardo Perez, Justin Blount and Alberto Gutierrez made up the quiz bowl team which came came within two points of advancing to national competition. Jose Hernandez was an alternate on that team.

In order to advance in SkillsUSA contests, students must finish either first or second place in a competitive team event, for which they will receive a ribbon stating the qualification. Although Morales placed first in her category, she didn’t qualify to compete at the next level; individual projects don’t advance. They only receive ribbons.

Candy Barnes was a voting delegate and competitor in prepared speech. Tony Glasscock and Loretta Cox were SkillsUSA advisors, and Juile Barnes, Candy’s mother, also “helped a lot as well.”

�With all this being our first year, we did pretty well,� Smith said. �A special thanks to all the teachers for letting us go and Ms. [Jeanne] Lay and Ms. [Sandra] Billodeau for making it happen. We all had a wonderful time.�

Texas SkillsUSA is a non-profit youth organization which facilitates trade and industry education, enhances curriculum. It is designed to help students develop essential skills such as communication and teamwork, and to help them gain a competitive edge in the work force. Teachers benefit as well by enhancing their occupational education programs, improve attitudes in the classroom and gain local business support and participation.

For more information about SkillsUSA visit the state web site: www.txskillsusa.org