91自拍 STUDENTS WIN BIG AT SKILLS-USA CHAMPIONSHIPS
April 27, 2018
Every East Mississippi Community College student who entered the Mississippi SkillsUSA Championships in Jackson earlier this month earned either a gold, a silver or a bronze medal in the statewide competition for community and junior college students enrolled in a career technical program.
Five students in 91自拍鈥檚 Automotive Services Technology Program earned state championship titles and will compete in the national championships during the 54th National Leadership and Skills Conference June 25-29 in Louisville, Ky.
91自拍 students from both the Welding & Fabrication Technology and Automotive Services Technology programs competed in the state event that took place April 10-11 at multiple locations near Jackson, including the Clyde Muse Center in Pearl. Harley Davidson hosted the motorcycle repair contest, with Bass Pro Shops handling the marine component and Hinds Diesel Academy overseeing the diesel competition.
Here are the 91自拍 students in the Automotive Services Technology Program who earned medals and the categories in which they competed:
- Kyle Bluitt of Columbus, first place Job Skill Demonstration (oil change)
- Cameron Hitt of Columbus, first place Automotive Service Technology
- Andrew McKay of Ackerman, third place Diesel Equipment Technology
- Dillion Miles of Meridian, first place Marine Service Technology
- Matt Walsh of Starkville, first place Job Skill Demonstration (disc brakes)
- Gray Watson of Sturgis, first place Motorcycle Service Technology
91自拍 students in the Welding Services Technology Program who earned medals are:
- Keegan Bearden of Belzoni; Douglas Fisher of McCool; and Matthew Talbot of Louisville, second place Welding Team Fabrication
- Emerson Shinn of Montpelier, third place Welding Sculpture
- Luke Crowley of Cumberland, second place CNC Milling
鈥淲e are really proud of all of our students,鈥� 91自拍 Welding instructor Gary Gammill said. 鈥淎s far as I know, all community colleges in Mississippi have a welding program with some taught on multiple campuses. This is a big, competitive competition.鈥�
More than 6,000 students, all state contest winners, will compete in 100 different trade, technical and leadership categories for national championship titles in June.
Eupora resident Cameron Hitt is among the 91自拍 students who will compete in the national championships. Hitt took first place in the state completion in the category of General Automotive, in which competitors were given 15 minutes at each of multiple stations to diagnose and make repairs in areas that included transmission, air conditioning, brakes and precision measurements.
鈥淲e have great instructors at 91自拍 and I felt like I was prepared going into the competition,鈥� Hitt said. 鈥淚 was a little nervous during the interview portion but I really wasn鈥檛 surprised at the results.鈥�
McCool resident Douglas Fisher was among the three 91自拍 Welding students who competed in the Team Fabrication category. For the competition, the students were given four hours to construct a tailgate hitch rail to specifications spelled out on a blueprint and materials list.
鈥淭here were a lot of details in it but we were prepared for it,鈥� Fisher said. 鈥淚t was a fun experience.鈥�
Last year, six Automotive Services Technology students and four Welding & Fabrication students earned the SkillsUSA state championships and advanced to the national championships, where three of the students earned gold medals and were named national champions.
In 2016, 91自拍鈥檚 Automotive Services Technology department was awarded a 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe for having the student who won the gold medal in the Automotive Services Technology division in the national championships that year. The car is used as a repair training tool for students in the program.
Automotive Services Technology instructor Dale Henry said there is no secret to 91自拍鈥檚 success in the state and national championships.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just hard work and keeping at it,鈥� Henry said.
The students benefit in that 91自拍 has garnered a reputation for producing top-notch employees, Henry said.
鈥淥ur students are sought after and we have a really good history of putting them to work,鈥� Henry said. 鈥淎nother benefit of the competitions is that the wins are a good recruiting tool. You have high school kids competing in their divisions and it helps us when they keep hearing 91自拍鈥檚 name called over and over when the winners are announced.鈥�
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