Following a rigorous four-day state tournament held in Corpus Christi during the weekend of April 6-7, six Katy ISD students were rewarded with first place honors, securing their participation in the 2024 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference.

First Place Winners in SkillsUSA State Conference

Dental Assisting Sebastian Ortiz

Mechatronics

David Townsend & Muhammad Yousaf

Robotics & Automation Technology

Alex Hernandez & Patrick Raynal

Early Childhood Education London Sewell

“The Miller Career & Technology Center (MCTC) SkillsUSA program has experienced significant growth, and we are excited about the real-world experiences and career-focused opportunities it provides to our students,” said Dallas Bergstrom, MCTC Manufacturing Engineering Instructor. “Participating in our SkillsUSA initiative equips students with invaluable networking and leadership development, fostering connections with fellow peers and industry partners, both within our state and nationwide,” added Bergstrom.

A total of 127 Katy ISD students recently advanced to the state level to compete against thousands of participants in over 100 occupational and leadership skill areas. The following students were among the top three spots in their respective categories.

SkillsUSA State Conference

Practical Nursing – Second Place Madison Le

Additive Manufacturing – Second Place Guillermo Nieves & Allen Sundia

Additive Manufacturing – Third Place David Lopez & Federico Pombo

Applied Engineering – Third Place

Elise Aagard, Ashlyn Brownell, Diego Hernandez, & Sanjiv Raja

Building Search – Third Place Noah Adams, Lana Davis, Ysabelle Hardwood, & Victoria Limon

Criminal Justice Quiz Bowl – Third Place Jayden Bryce, Maryam Elsafty, ZuQi Li, Juan Lopez, Vivian Rodriguez, & Aleck Servin

Engineering Technology & Design- Third Place

Andrea Arevalo, Laura Bryant, & Mike Macalello

Felony Traffic Stop – Third Place

Andrea Pachano & Jack Spriggs

Internetworking – Second Place

Patrick Ozorio-Brace

Internetworking – Third Place

Ryan Bhuiyan

Job Interview – Third Place

Pooja Kalwani

Mechatronics – Second Place

Braylen Perkins & Antonio Vazquez Pantoja

Medical Terminology – Second Place

Isabel Lopez

Dental Assisting – Third Place Leticia Real

Every year, SkillsUSA chapters submit activities representing each of the three components: Personal Skills, Workplace Skills, and Technical Skills Grounded in Academics. These activities encompass essential elements within each component. Submissions undergo scoring and ranking to determine placements. The Manufacturing Engineering chapter earned Gold in Texas for this award. Currently, winners from each state are being assessed to determine participants for the national competition.

SkillsUSA State Conference

Models of Excellence Chapter - Gold Paula Churio, Braylen Perkins, & David Townsend

According to its website, the SkillsUSA Championships is the national culmination of a year-long process that begins in local SkillsUSA chapters across the country. Local winners advance to district or regional competitions, testing their skills against competitors from other schools. Those winners advance to state competitions each spring, and state gold medalists earn the right to compete nationally at the SkillsUSA Championships each June. Along with gold, silver and bronze medallions, competitors may earn scholarships, tools of the trade, and even job offers right off the competition floor.

The 2024 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference will take place in Atlanta, Georgia on June 24 -28.