46 Tazewell County Career and Technical Center (TCCTC) students competed at the State SkillsUSA Virginia Leadership and Skills Championships held in Virginia Beach, Virginia on April 19-21, 2024. TCCTC students returned with nine gold medalists, 8 silver medalists, and four bronze medalists. Not only did 21 contestants place in the top three, 40 out of 46 students placed in the top 10 of their events at the competition. Below is a list of the students and their standings.
Barbering
Ashley Shelton, Tazewell High School-Gold Medal-1st place * Will Attend National SkillsUSA Competition*
Esthetics
Stephanie Wingo, Tazewell High School with model Samantha Brewster-Gold Medal-1st place *Will Attend National SkillsUSA Competition*
Savannah Shouse, Graham High School with model Mikayla Linkous-5th place
Community Service Project-Spike’s Trike Track
Alana Capshaw, Tazewell High School; Ella Lawson, Richlands High School; Dalton “Scott” Golcher, Graham High School-Gold Medal-1st place *Will Attend National SkillsUSA Competition*
Mechatronics
Julius Pridgen and Thomas Cole, Richlands High School-Gold Medal-1st place *Will Attend National SkillsUSA Competition*
Raygan Vance, Graham High School and Calvin Dowell, Richlands High School-Silver Medal-2nd place
Robotics and Automation
Blake Zinsmeister, Graham High School, and Wes Dudley, Tazewell High School-Gold Medal-1st place * Will Attend National SkillsUSA Competition*
Cabinetmaking
Sean Dillon Stout, Tazewell High School-Silver Medal-2nd place
First Aid-CPR
Makayla Matney, Richlands High School- Silver Medal-2nd place
Haley Reynolds, Tazewell High School-Bronze Medal-3rd place
Brett Bishop, Graham High School-4th place
TeamWorks
Carpentry students Orion Mustard and Matthew Shirey of Bland County High School partnered up with welding student Ethan Deel and masonry student Austin Miller from Richlands High School-Silver Medal-2nd place
Nail Technology
Aysia Hammond, Richlands High School with model Katie Blevins-Bronze medal-3rd place
Motorcycle Technology
Alyssa Bandy, Tazewell High School-Bronze medal-3rd place
Total Fantasy Look
Jayla Farmer and Kydalynn Brown both from Tazewell High School with model Charity Smalling from Graham High School-4th place
Marine Service Technology
Trenton Grimm, Graham High School-4th place
Power Equipment Technology
Stephen Muncy, Graham High School-4th place
Hope Looney, Graham High School-7th place
Job Skill Demonstration
Zoe Quinn, Tazewell High School-4th place
Cosmetology
Braelyn Honaker, Richlands High School-5th place
Masonry
Dylan Belcher, Graham High School-5th place
Noah Niswander, Graham High School-13th place
Criminal Justice
Kendi Dye, Richlands High School-6th place
Diesel Equipment Technology
Ashlynn Brunty, Graham High School-7th place
Jacob Bowden, Tazewell High School-8th place
Kenneth “KZ” Rose, Tazewell High School-9th place
Automotive Refinishing Technology
Ronin Loulies, Graham High School-8th place
Automotive Maintenance and Light Repair
Thomas Steele, Tazewell High School-8th place
Automotive Service Technology
Nickelas Stacy, Graham High School-9th place
Crime Scene Investigation
Autumn Hurd, Zoie Dowdy, and Maya Blevins, Tazewell High School-9th place
“The hard work and dedication that these competitors displayed proves that TCCTC is leading their students to success in the workplace upon graduation. These state contests not only prepare students in their technical abilities but also in workplace readiness by teaching them soft skills that so many employers are actively looking for when hiring for positions,” said Mrs. Sarah Cooke, TCCTC Lead SkillsUSA Advisor.
Looking ahead, nine Tazewell County Career and Technical Center students will set their sights on the National SkillsUSA competitions to be held in Atlanta, Georgia in June. Four instructors will be accompanying their students. If you would like to donate to assist with the costs for these students and instructors to attend the national competition, donations can be made to TCCTC by stopping by the school, via mail to 260 Advantage Drive, Tazewell, Virginia 24651, by contacting Lead SkillsUSA advisor Sarah Cooke at 276-988-2529 ext. 1722, or via email to scooke@tcpsva.org.