SkillsUSA is a student-led organization whose purpose is to serve students preparing for technical, skilled and service careers. SkillsUSA improves the quality of students entering the workforce through the development of Framework skills that include personal, workplace and technical skills grounded in academics. Members compete in a series of career driven events that equip and prepare them for life in the workforce.
Frenship High School sent dozens of students to compete in the Automotive Technology, Law Enforcement, Photography, and Media State SkillsUSA contests. The SkillsUSA students represented Frenship well and two students earned a spot at the National Competition.
Photography
The photography team had great success at the state competition. The team came home with three ‘Best of’ awards and the State Champion title for Michael Maddox in Photography Skills. Maddox will represent Frenship at the SkillsUSA’s National Leadership & Skills Conference in June.
Individual results for photography:
- Photography Skills Competition State Champion: Michael Maddox
- Best of Show Portrait Photography: Jett Baker
- Best of Show General Photography: Olivia Thompson
- Best of Arts, AV Technology and Communications Cluster: Jett Baker
Superior Blue Ribbon GENERAL Photography: Jett Baker, Samantha Davis, Jaxon Gregory, Addison Hutchison, Michael Maddox, Maribella Ortiz-Campos, Olivia Thompson, Hien Quach
Superior Blue Ribbon PORTRAIT Photography: Hayley Anselm, Jett Baker, Annela Camus, Samantha Davis, Addison Hutchison, Michael Maddox, Maribella Ortiz-Campos, Olivia Thompson, Hien Quach
Superior Blue Ribbon COMMERCIAL Photography: Hayley Anselm and Annela Camus
“I am so incredibly proud of all my students,” said Amy Thomas, FHS Photography Teacher. “They have put in countless hours of hard work and dedication. This is my 3rd year participating in SkillsUSA and my 3rd year to have students advance to the state competition. To say that the Frenship Commercial Photography program is quickly becoming a recognized name would be an understatement!”
Automotive Technology
At the district contest, everyone on the Frenship AutoTech team advanced to the state competition. The team performed well at the state level this past week,
Parker Dickens competed in Aviation Maintenance and was named the State Champion. He will advance to SkillsUSA Nationals held in Atlanta Georgia in June where he will compete against other state champions in hopes of being National Champion.
Jacob Garcia, Jaxon Landusky, Tyler Abel, and Garrett Bell built a go-kart styled after a Formula 1 race car for project judging and they were awarded a "Superior" rating for their efforts.
Christopher Vinson competed in Automotive Maintenance and Light Repair, Jacey Bruington in Power Equipment Technology, Jacob Hargrave in Marine Maintenance, and Addy Pittman and Michael Connelly in Automotive Tool Identification. They did not place in the top three, but they represented Frenship High School well.
“I am very proud of the hard work all my SkillsUSA team members put into this year and the contests,” said Dana Vinson, FHS AutoTech Teacher. “All of them put in countless hours of their own time to get ready for their contests, sacrificing time that could have been spent with family and friends. Instead, they focused on learning what it takes to be a champion.”
Law Enforcement
The Frenship SkillsUSA Law Enforcement Club took 16 students to compete against the best students from Texas.
“I am beyond proud of the dedication my students put forth this year,” said Samuel Soto, the Frenship High School Law Enforcement Teacher. “We had our first three-time state qualifier with Wyatt Coulson, and our CSI team placed at state for the second time in a row. I could not be prouder of our Law Enforcement District Champions who represented Frenship Nation at the state level!”
Crime Scene Investigation earned the Silver Medal for their 2nd place overall. The team consisted of Trysta Anderson, Viola Coppi, and Wyatt Coulson.
Mattie Rodriguez and Kenzie Escalante received a Superior rating in the Criminal Justice Job Exhibit. Isabel Bucio also received a Superior rating in the Criminal Justice Crime Scene Job Exhibit.
Media
The Frenship Media Audio Video Quiz Bowl team placed first in the district and 8th at the state level.
“These kids have to have a comprehensive knowledge of production, broadcast and creative media, and technical equipment knowledge,” said Molly Arellano, the FHS Media teacher. “They have worked extremely hard to learn and grow their intelligence and I am so incredibly proud of the things they have retained in order to compete.”
The team also had two students compete in Television Video Production, and while they did not place in the top three, their advertisement about the Texas State Aquarium would make anyone want to take the trip down to Corpus.
Congratulations to all the Frenship competitors and good luck to Michael Maddox and Parker Dickens, who will compete this summer in the National Competition!