Sheridan High School’s SkillsUSA team went to their state competition this past April 15-17, and returned home with good results.
For being this club’s first year in the school, this chapter came back from the Casper-based competition with three of the seven students placing high in their respective competitions; junior Aaron Baker received first place in Computer Maintenance, senior Jack Granger took second in Cabinetmaking, and sophomore Sierra Orlandi placed third in Preschool Teaching Assistant. For winning first place, Baker will travel to nationals in Kansas City this June.
“The competition went very well overall. It was a different experience this year with the competition seeming to be calmer than the two previous years when I competed on the Big Horn team, but in general it was still good,” said Granger.
The SkillsUSA program is composed of several competitions that largely focus on the career and technical fields that students have interests in pursuing. With competitions ranging from architecture and computer skills to welding and cooking, this organization encompasses many fields of interest that students can get involved in and perfect their skills. In fact, Wyoming has 45 different competitions for high school students to work and compete in. Similar to other clubs like FFA and FBLA, SkillsUSA has a lot to offer students and can instill within them knowledge useful for life after high school.
“After seeing how this first year has gone, we definitely want to get more kids involved next year. We want to see this chapter expand in the upcoming years and have more students in the wide range of competitions available at the state level,” said chapter adviser Heidi Richins. “There are big plans ahead for this chapter as it becomes more common in the school.”
Overall, for being a fledgling group for the high school, this SkillsUSA chapter has proven itself with having several state winners already. With more involvement, this organization can really shine in the years to come. To join Sheridan’s SkillsUSA chapter, contact the club advisers Richins or Kathleen Pilch.
