9-15-16
Picture: L-R- Mike Allen, Kristen Dignen, Caleb Sowell, Nathan Miller
(Clarkesville)- Four North Georgia Technical College students proudly competed at the 52nd annual SkillsUSA National Championships held in Louisville, Ky, this summer. All four students took home a medal in their respective contests.
Kristen Dignen, a medical assisting student from the Blairsville campus competed in Job Skills Demonstration A and placed second winning a silver medal. Marine Engine Technology student Mike Allen, from the Clarkesville campus, received a bronze medal for his third place finish in Marine Service Technology. Nathan Miller and Caleb Sowell, Industrial Systems Technology students from the Currahee campus, competed as a team in the Robotics and Automation Technology contest and placed third winning bronze medals.
President Dr. Mark Ivester travelled to Louisville for the competition to encourage the students and participate in the many industry-sponsored activities throughout the week. “At North Georgia Tech, winning national medals is becoming a tradition! This year’s group of students certainly carried on that great winning tradition. I believe the success this year speaks volumes about our students, faculty and staff here at North Georgia Tech.”
SkillsUSA is a national career and technical student organization with chapters at high schools and colleges across the country. Since 1967, they have hosted the national championships for public high school and college/postsecondary students enrolled in career and technical education programs. Students begin by competing in local and state competitions leading up to a trip to the nationals where there are over 100 contests and 6,000 competitors from all 50 states and two territories. The contests are designed by technical committees made up of representatives of labor and management in the industries and are designed to test the skills needed for a successful entry-level performance in given occupational fields. Safety practices and procedures – an area of great concern to labor and management alike – are judged and graded and constitute a portion of a contestant’s score.
Dr. Mike King, vice president of student affairs at NGTC, also travelled with the students to Louisville this year. “All of our students represented the college and their respective programs of study with excellence and professional integrity. We appreciate the hard work and dedication of our faculty advisors who accompanied their outstanding students to this event,” said Dr. King.
For more information regarding programs at North Georgia Technical College or the SkillsUSA competitions, call 706-754-7852 or visit northgatech.edu.
