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July 7, 2009
For Immediate Release
For an Interview:
Darin Taylor
(801) 376-5543
Utah Valley University students enrolled in trade, technical and skilled service professional programs recently returned home from the 45th annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Kansas City, Mo., with bragging rights and 11 national medals. Working against the clock and each other, the participants proved their expertise in job skill categories such as Audio-Radio Production, Criminal Justice, Diesel Equipment Technology, Engineering Technology, Medical Terminology, Architectural Drafting, Firefighting, Industrial Motor Control and Robotics.
"We are extremely proud of UVU students and how they perform when they compete head to head with other colleges and universities from around the state and nation," said Darin Taylor, UVU SkillsUSA director. "When our students can go back to Kansas City and compete against the very best from each state, and continually come out on top, I think that says a great deal about the quality of students, faculty and programs we have here at Utah Valley University."
Out of the 25 competitions that UVU competed in on the national level, they earned medals in 11.
"This type of performance on a national college/university level is beyond outstanding," Taylor said. "To bring it into perspective, there were 43 states that did not win as many post-secondary college medals as UVU did as an individual institution."
The awards ceremony Friday, June 26, brought together more than 15,000 students, parents, teachers and industry representatives. The top competitors were awarded gold, silver or bronze medallions. Winning competitors received scholarships and/or tools of their trades provided by industry sponsors.
SkillsUSA is a national organization serving more than 307,000 high school and college students annually. Begun in 1967, the SkillsUSA Championships have grown from 54 competitors in three contests to more than 5,400 competitors in 91 hands-on skill and leadership contests. The SkillsUSA Championships is the premier showcase of technical and career education in the nation. SkillsUSA has the active support of more than 1,100 corporations, trade associations, business and labor unions at the national level. Prominent industrial and technical experts from their related fields donate their time and expertise to develop, administer and judge the skills contests using competencies set by industry. SkillsUSA believes this is the single greatest day of corporate volunteerism in America every year at an estimated cost of $35 million.
UVU’s gold medal winners include the team of Skylar Haws and Bryan Sansom in Audi-Radio Production; the team of Shane Foerster, Todd Gardner, Cody Hamblin, Brittany Lewis, Jared Lewis, Lynae Malchus and Kylie West in Chapter Business Procedure; Brett Christensen in Criminal Justice; Casey Muhlestein in Diesel Equipment Technology; the team of Alan Gilbert, Daniel Nay and Sean Peterson in Engineering Technology; and Zac Carney in Medical Terminology. Silver medal winners include Emberly Valgardson in Architectural Drafting, Joy Stearns in Firefighting, Tom Gutierrez in Industrial Motor Control, and the team of Carl Ballard and Benjamin Booth in Mechatronics. Kimberly Ashby received a bronze medal in First Aid/CPR. Others who received recognition were Ash Coleman who placed 4th in Culinary Arts, Trent Bates who placed 4th in Photography, Tyler Stone who placed 4th in Power Equipment Technology, and Brad Trinnaman who placed 4th in Screenprinting.
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University Marketing Contact:
Erin Spurgeon
(801) 863-6807