Collin College News caught up with a pair of students who took home gold and bronze medals at the SkillsUSA Nationals competition in Atlanta, Georgia, to ask them a few questions about the organization, the competition, and how they prepared.
As background, SkillsUSA is a national organization dedicated to developing the country’s workforce through personal, workplace, and technical skills. The organization’s framework contributes to students being job-ready after graduation because participants have a better understanding of what employers look for in an employee. In addition to training opportunities, SkillsUSA provides competitions to reward students for their hard work learning their crafts. This is the first year current Collin College students have participated in SkillsUSA competitions.
What are you studying at Collin College, and what degree or certificate are you pursuing?
Lisa Dorman, Gold Medal in Photography: I am working on five certificates in three programs: Commercial Photography, Video Production, and Animation and Game Art.
Winferd Vermillion, Bronze Medal in Collision Repair: I just finished my first semester in Collision Repair.
Lisa, what is your background in photography, and why do you enjoy it?
LD: I started at Collin in 2019 in Animation and Game Art. One of the required courses was a beginning photography class. I loved that class, so I continued taking more photography classes. I enjoy photography because of the creative outlet it provides. No one sees an object the same way, and this allows expression from my point of view. Also, there is a lot of technical knowledge that goes into capturing the image you see in your head, so producing it takes creativity and problem-solving.
Winferd, what is your background in collision repair, and why do you enjoy it?
WV: I am a novice for sure, with only one semester at Collin College under my belt. I have, however, been working on cars for as long as I can remember. As a child, I would spend time working on cars with my dad, and that sparked my interest in this field.
What do you enjoy about the SkillsUSA competitions?
LD: There are definitely differences between the state and national SkillsUSA competitions. For the state competition, we worked in teams while producing our own images. The camaraderie was my favorite part. The entire team that went down helped each other and encouraged each other. I also like the intensity of the competition. It is two days of shooting and editing to produce the best images that you can within a theme. You are representing your college, department, advisor, and yourself. It is intense.
WV: What I enjoyed most about the SkillsUSA competitions was the variety of skilled trades being represented. It was great to see competitors from baking and pastry arts to electronics technology, photography to automotive collision technology being represented. I enjoyed seeing so many trades encouraged and supported from high school to college and post-secondary levels.
What do you appreciate about the SkillsUSA organization?
LD: The SkillsUSA organization gives a chance for students to compete who may have never had the opportunity before. The opportunities are not available unless you are an athlete or a star student. At SkillsUSA, the competitions are about competing in skills that build your future and our workforce. The core values of SkillsUSA are valuable to learn and understand. These core values are split into three divisions – Personal Skills, Workplace Skills, and Technical Skills – which are built on traits that are important to the workforce as well as personal life. Learning them reinforces values important to society and family.
WV: I appreciate the motivation and level of support the organization provides to the students. During both the state and national competitions, I always felt like I was being encouraged to do my best.
What do you think about winning a medal in a national competition?
LD: Medaling in a national competition was surprising as well as fun. I think it was a huge confidence builder, not because I was chosen as the best photographer but because it showed me that I can push through and problem-solve to accomplish the task before me. In addition to that, it is also great for a résumé, which is on all students’ minds as they prepare to graduate.
WV: Medaling was definitely a huge surprise. While my professor and family had an enormous amount of faith in my abilities, I had some doubts because of how new I was in the program. Walking up on the stage with an audience of thousands of people was beyond exciting and made me realize I was more prepared than I gave myself credit for.
How did you prepare for the competition?
LD: Preparing for the competition took time and planning. There was studying of the SkillsUSA organization first. Discovering the competencies and preparing for all 10 competencies took study time and practice for me and my advisor, Lisa Means.
WV: Professor (Raven) Hartkopf was able to facilitate a lot of extra training by industry experts prior to the competitions. In addition to the extra training, she allowed me to come in on the days I did not have a class to train. Those extra hours were instrumental in me performing as well as I did.
Did you feel prepared for the competition? Why or why not?
LD: I did feel prepared to the best of my ability but was unsure it was enough for the competition.
WV: Being a first-semester student, I did not feel confident in my knowledge and experience for most of the areas being tested. Looking back at the complete competition, I would say that I was prepared because of the numerous hours I spent on practical skills application and expanding my technical knowledge. This competition also helped me see areas that I want to improve to progress in the future.
How did your professors or SkillsUSA advisors help you prepare?
LD: The classes in the Photography Department prepare students for the work field. I went over my digital class notebooks that our professors require us to make at the end of each semester. The professors took the time to make PowerPoint presentations for our use, and they really came in handy. My advisor, Lisa Means, met with me and other students before the state competition to advise us on what to study and help us organize the process. For the national competition, Lisa and I met to practice the skills and go over the information that I was not clear on. The encouragement I received from the professors and advisors was the mental lift I needed to continue the process.
WV: I feel very fortunate to have received so much help from my professors. I certainly would not have stood a chance at the state or national level without the guidance and motivation of Professor Hartkopf. She was amazing and dedicated many hours to helping me prepare. Professor Marcus Godinez was also helpful and always available to answer questions related to collision repair. Even Professor James Yervasi from the Automotive Department took time to share his knowledge of vehicle suspension systems, which ended up being more important than I imagined. My success at both competitions can be attributed to their collaborative efforts and guidance.