I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all of you that came out to welcome the 2016 Skills USA Team back to the ASU Mid South Campus. THAT WAS AWESOME AND COOL!!!! The students were not expecting a welcome home!! It made all of the instructors so very proud of our ASU Mid South family. Our students were very touched with such a thoughtful gesture.
I wish there was some way I could convey to you what these students experienced. We had students that worked with willing instructors after hours to prepare for nothing less than a Gold in respective events. Some had to experience the agony of defeat, and some the glimmer of victory; as their medal was placed around their neck front and center stage. Tears shed, hugs given, pictures taken, hoot and hollers, extreme exhaustion, nagging instructors, lights out for unwanted curfews, pizza, Chinese food, Chili’s, dances, movies, swimming, hotel breakfast, and not to mention the extreme nerves and the smiles on every students face as each student from ASU Mid South was displayed on the monitor and announced as a winner. We are very proud of our Tech Program and our students. We have some incredible kids and we all care for deeply.
I want to also thank ASU Mid-South for allowing us to continue to participate in this worthy event that means so much to many. We are building leaders for the future. I encourage you all to take some time to get to know our Tech Center Students ( I want to call them our kids) they are excited about what is to come for themselves, and I pray we will all extend an encouraging hand to them all. You have no idea what it means to our students to be acknowledged, and yes from you!!
Lastly, All the instructors that made the trip, YOU WERE PHENOMENAL! WE DID A GOOD JOB WITH THIS. WHAT GREAT TEAM WORK!
I hold an unbelievable admirations for you all. I am so blessed and honored to work with a team that is so dedicated, caring, encourageing, nurturing, and loving to our kids. Our instructors sacrificed missing their own kids birthday, district track meet, rearranging to have kids stay with family members, whining spouses (some of use did not have to worry about that), loss of A LOT of sleep, stress of knowing students were in their room by 10:00 pm (not easy), and our feet killing us! sacrifice’s are the greatest blessings, we were all blessed be on measures.
The following is a list of the students who earned medals at the SkillsUSA competition.
Gold
Jeremie Paige – Aviation Maintenance Technology (West Memphis High School – 2017)
Payton O’Quin – Pin Design (Marion High School – 2018)
Silver
Jessica Bridges – Technical Computer Applications (post-secondary)
Jesse Myers – Diesel Maintenance Technology (Marion High School – 2016)
Bronze
Avan Carter – Information Technology Service (Marion High School – 2018)
Emma Eubanks – Basic Health Care (Homeschool – 2016)
Chloie Pennington – Technical Computer Applications (post-secondary)
Dominique King – Additive Manufacturing (Marion High School – 2018)
Christian Gilbert – Additive Manufacturing (Marion High School – 2018)
Aston Wardlow – Health Knowledge Bowl ((West Memphis High School – 2016)
Jason Scott – Health Knowledge Bowl ((West Memphis High School – 2017)
Maddie Wilkerson – Health Knowledge Bowl ((West Memphis High School – 2017)
Dylan Shepherd – Health Knowledge Bowl ((West Memphis High School – 2017)
