Student Success
Students Shine at SkillsUSA
RALEIGH, N.C. (April 17, 2025) – Wake Tech career and technical education students showed off their talents at the 2025 SkillsUSA North Carolina State Leadership & Skills Conference in Greensboro, bringing home more than 20 awards, including three first-place honors.
Two students, Jimmy Chavez-Perez (Architectural Drafting) and Tyler Collins (Welding Sculpture), qualified to compete at the national SkillsUSA competition June 23-27 in Atlanta. This the fourth straight year that Wake Tech students have qualified for nationals!
In all, 89 Wake Tech students from the Engineering, Technologies & Skilled Trades, Business & Professional Services, Information Technology, Transportation Technologies and Workforce Development divisions competed in a variety of categories.
Wake Tech also took home a first-place award for Largest Individual Member Growth Chapter.
Eighty-four high school students from Vernon Malone College and Career Academy (VMCCA), a partnership between Wake Tech and the Wake County Public School System, also took part in the competition and received 23 awards. Six of those students also qualified for the national competition in 3D Visualization and Animation and Entrepreneurship.
Gina Beaudry, director of Career and Technical Education Partnership at Wake Tech, says SkillsUSA is about more than just earning medals.
"Students gain resume-building experience, and they make life-long connections with the opportunity to network at the conference," Beaudry said. "I am very proud of how they represented VMCCA and Wake Tech!"
Wake Tech results
Architectural Drafting
- Jimmy Chavez-Perez, first place
- Luke Bowen, second place
- Reece Guy, third place
- Anastasia Kruglova, fourth place
Automotive Refinishing Technology
- Amanda Baker, second place
- Garrett Loveless, fourth place
Automotive Service Technology
- Noah Howard, second place
Automotive Tool ID
- Andrew Potchak, fourth place
- Michael Koo, fifth place
- Collision Damage Appraisal
- Crystal Pena, second place
- Sheyla Sagrero-Cecillio, fourth place
Cybersecurity
- Yair Rayo, Thomas Wilkie, fourth place
Electrical Construction Wiring
- David Hanna, third place
- Steve Mairena-Escobo, fourth place
Fantasy Hair and Makeup
- Mariuxi Cedeno, second place
- GloriaGonzalez Velasquez, third place
- Sandra Estrella, fifth place
Internetworking
- Bradley Huntoon, fourth place
Natural Hair Design & Braids
- Tytiana LeCount, first place
- Shantel McNeil, second place
- Alayah Israel, third place
Welding
- Daniel Garcia-Ramos, fourth place
Welding Fabrication
- Jason Cartlidge, Lucas Kashmiry, and Briggs Pratt, fifth place
Welding Sculpture
- Tyler Collins, first place
VMCCA results
3D Visualization and Animation
- Caleb Smith, Mavric Eis, first place
Automotive Refinishing
- Ray Ferguson, third place
Collision Repair Technology
- Adam Miller, fourth place
- Desmond Sanders, third place
Cosmetology Fantasy Hair and Makeup
- Eunice Browder, third place
- Evelyn Izaguirre-Castillo, fifth place
Cosmetology Hair Color
- Daniela Morales, second place
- Jennifer Marin Celis, third place
Heating, Ventilation, AC & Refrigeration
- Carlie Cabrera-Lopez, fourth place
- Ahmad Anbar, fifth place
Electrical Construction Wiring I
- Sammy Cline, fifth place
- Cooper Jeffords, third place
Entrepreneurship
- Maryam Chaudhry, Angel Edelen Pinkney, Tise Iyiola, Christian Nourie, first place
First Aid-CPR
- Maryam Jawad, second place
- Savannah Stewart, fourth place
Interactive Application and Video Game Design
- Maurice Watkins, Ian Woodard, second place
Nurse Assisting
- Maritza Del Valle-Prudente, fourth place
- Gabrielle Whitney, fifth place
Related Technical Math
- June Strickland, fifth place
Metalworking Skill Project Showcase
- Sid Boyd, Sam Strelec, Jola Samson, fifth place
Welding
- Jose Castillo, fourth place
- Jose Hernandez Melgar, fifth place
Welding Fabrication
- Jayden Lamb, Damion Spooner, Will Stephenson, third place
