Wayne State students excelled during Nebraska state SkillsUSA competition in April 2024.
Twenty-seven Wayne State College students earned high marks with 17 of them qualifying for the SkillsUSA National Championships during the Nebraska SkillsUSA State Leadership Conference held April 11-13 in Grand Island.
Wayne State’s national qualifiers will compete in SkillsUSA’s National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC) June 24-28 in Atlanta.
National qualifiers
Urban Search and Rescue
- Hailey Hoffman – Columbus, Neb.
- John Mann – Norfolk, Neb.
Chapter Display
- Jon Dixon – Craig, Neb.
- Zach Covington – Papillion, Neb.
- Sarahi Lopez – South Sioux City, Neb.
Cabinetmaking
- Jeremiah Chase – Wakefiel, Neb.
Information Technology
- Aaron Ford – Seward, Neb.
Prepared Speech
- Hannah Woolsey – David City, Neb.
Crime Scene Investigation
- Kenjiro Pieters – Willemstad, Curaҫao
- Teresa Johnson – Oto, Iowa
- Rhegan Jensen – Boelus, Neb.
Job Interview
- Morgan Bird – Bennington
Welding Sculpture
- Makenzie Meyer – Paullina, Iowa
First Aid/CPR
- Maddie Prochaska – Schuyler, Neb.
Job Skill Demo
- Ariel Bryant – Thedford, Neb.
Promotional Bulletin Board
- Grace Ballou – Salina, Kan.
- Sienna Balwanz – Papillion, Neb.
State competition results
T-Shirt Design – First place
- Landin Pribnow – Albion, Neb.
TeamWorks – Third place
- Michael Szigethy – Farramere Gauteng, South Africa
- Micah Leonard – Armour, S.D.
- Nolan Johnson – Broken Bow, Neb.
- Jackson Nordhues – Syracuse, Neb.
Inter-networking – Second place
- Brandon Berger – Columbus, Neb.
Advertising Design – Third place
- Rodger Meraz – Atlanta, Ga.
Firefighting – Second place
- Joe Grone – Dixon, Neb.
First Aid/CPR – Second place
- Emily Wilson – Merrill, Iowa
Prepared Speech – Second place
- Olivia Perske – David City
Student perspective
Wayne State student Zach Covington, president of SkillsUSA at Wayne State, said all of the hard work and preparation by students has been rewarded.
“We’ve had a lot of years of growth here at Wayne State College, and it’s great that we can get the college some visibility on the national level,” said Covington, a junior from Papillion who is majoring in skills and technical sciences at Wayne State. “I went through the entire year with my peers and it’s great that we get to go to nationals together. All the hard work from practice, preparation, and fundraisers has paid off, and it's great that I get to see my friends succeed.”
SkillsUSA’s National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC) is the largest gathering of America’s future skilled workforce and the ultimate recognition of excellence in career and technical education. Held in Atlanta each June, the NLSC is a week-long celebration of the skilled trades and the accomplishments of career-ready leaders from across the United States. The event brings together more than 16,000 attendees, including students, instructors, industry partners, government officials, administrators and more, according to the SkillsUSA website.
The highlight of the NLSC is the SkillsUSA Championships, where more than 6,000 state champions compete for national gold, silver and bronze medals in 115 skilled and leadership competitions.
The SkillsUSA organization helps students develop personal skills such as integrity, work ethic, professionalism, responsibility, adaptability, flexibility, self-motivation. Students involved also gain communication, decision making, teamwork, multicultural sensitivity and awareness, planning, organizing and management and leadership skills.