May 25, 2016
Four students from Bevill State Community College will compete in the National SkillsUSA competition in Louisville, KY in June. Austin Boyett, Bobby Honeycutt, Drake Vickery, and Nathan Young earned a spot in the nationals by placing first in their respective categories in the state competition held in Birmingham last month.
Boyett competed in the Automotive category, Honecutt in the Extemporaneous Speaking category, Vickery in the Power Equipment category, and Young in the Motorcycle category.
In addition to the four students who placed first, other Bevill State students competing and placing included Tyler Berry, third place in Automotive; Victoria Bonifer, third place in Related Technical Math; Eddie Ortiz, second place in Motorcycle; Justin Thomas, third place in motorcycle; Jeremy Vice, second place in Power Equipment; and Gage Wiginton, third place in Diesel.
“I am very proud of all of our students who competed this year. I think it says a lot about our students, faculty, and programs to have so many students place in the competition. I know Austin, Bobby, Drake, and Nathan will represent Bevill State well as they prepare to compete in Louisville, “ said Chad Bryant, chair of theCareer Technical Division and Automotive Technology Instructor on the Hamilton Campus.
The SkillsUSA Championships is the national-level competition for public high school and college/postsecondary students enrolled in career and technical education programs. SkillsUSA organizes this event, and it is considered the single greatest day of industry volunteerism in America annually at an estimated cost of more than $36 million.
Begun in 1967, the SkillsUSA Championships has grown from 54 competitors in three contests to more than 6,000 competitors in 100 hands-on skill and leadership contests this year. SkillsUSA adds contests to the SkillsUSA Championships to meet the demands of new and expanding occupations. SkillsUSA affiliated instructional programs represent 130 different occupational areas.