NTU students bring home gold, silver and bronze

CROWNPOINT, N.M. — On April 8, Navajo Technical University (NTU) students competed in the New Mexico SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, bringing home five gold medals, three silver medals and two bronze medals.

NTU brought a total of 17 competitors to the conference.

SkillsUSA is a national organization that connects students, educators, business, and industry partners in training a better and stronger American work force. Every year, SkillsUSA chapters across the U.S. conduct a Leadership and Skills state conference.

The five gold medal winners are eligible to compete in their respective competitions at the National SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Conference that will be held in Atlanta, Georgia this June and represent not only New Mexico but also the Navajo Nation and NTU.

Because of the pandemic, the past two New Mexico state conferences were held virtually, but this year NM SkillsUSA once again held an in-person conference where students competed using skills they’ve learned in the course of their academic endeavors at both the high school and college levels.

"SkillsUSA helps each student excel. The organization provides educational programs, events, and competitions that support career and technical education in the nation’s classrooms. I love being involved with the students and seeing their transformation into professionals as they engage in SkillsUSA events and activities” said Julie Bales, coordinator for the NTU SkillsUSA Team.

The NTU gold medalists are Chris Wesley for Automotive Service Technology; Araya Yazzie for Carpentry; Vivianne Joe for Culinary Arts; Tyson Tsosie for Electrical Construction Wiring; and Antonio Platero for Job Skill Demo A.

The NTU silver medalists are Kelly Bitsoi for Culinary Arts, Nilsson Wood for Electrical Construction Wiring; Angela Shepherd for Job Skills Demo A.

The NTU bronze medalists are Rozanne Manuelito for Related Technical Math and the team of Kanisha Faber, Marcus Burbank, and Ashton Jones for Welding Fabrication.

Advisors, Steve Kollas, Automotive Service Technology; Tom Bebo, Carpentry; Walter Cloud, Culinary Arts; Virgil House, Electrical Construction wiring; Julie Bales, Job Skill Demo A, Shasha Han, Related Technical Math and Chris Store, Welding Fabrication said they could not be more proud of their student’s accomplishments and cannot wait to see more opportunities for their students’ professional development as they prepare to compete on the national level this June.

More information about NM SkillsUSA is available on its website at www.skillsusanm.org and more information about the NTU SkillsUSA Chapter is available by contacting Julie Bales at jbales@navajotech.edu.

Information provided by Navajo Technical University