SkillsUSA championsWINTER 2015 50 ways to win! experts respond with contest tips how underdogs take the gold making history with middle schools industry changes 50 years in the future Amazing Comebacks Driven to Succeed WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A CHAMPION? STANDARDS 2015-2016 SkillsUSA Championships Technical Standards Book Order the book for $35.95 at www.lulu.com 2015-2016 SkillsUSA Championships Technical Standards CD-ROM Package Order the CD-ROM package for $19.95 online at: www.skillsusa.org/store/technicalstandards.html 2015 SkillsUSA Championships, Louisville, Ky., June 23 to 26 SkillsUSA champions SkillsUSA’s Official Magazine bOarD Of DirectOrS SkillsUSA champions online 14001 SkillsUSA Way, Leesburg, VA 20176-5494 Brent Kindred (Wisconsin) (Air Products) 703-777-8810 • www.skillsusa.org Michael de Castro Visit the SkillsUSA Champions “e-zine” version (Caterpillar University) Chris Arvin at www.skillsusa.org/champions/ to flip through (Tennessee) Magazine Staff/Office Of PublicatiOnS James King articles, view videos and extra photos and get Director (Utah) Tom Hall, Dave Milliken updates. You’ll find archives of past issues, adver- Associate Director, Communications (Kansas) Ann Schreiber, Peggy Torrens tiser links, lesson plans for new issues, and more. Craig Moore, Manager, Web/Technology Charles Wallace (Maryland) Manager, Audiovisual Technology/ (Association for Career and Technical Tom Kercheval, Alex Gromada See even more champions on our frequently Communications Education) updated website, www.skillsusa.org, as well as: Kathy Mannes (American Association of Community Office Of the executive DirectOr Colleges) Tim Lawrence, Executive Director Jennifer Polz (SkillsUSA State Directors Association) Sandra Moore, Administrative Assistant Scott Stump (National Association of State Directors of Career and Technical Education Consortium) (Lowe’s Companies Inc.) aDMiniStratiOn anD finance Troy Dally Volume 49, No. 2 Kim Graham, Director Laurie Hackett (Air Products) SkillsUSA Champions (ISSN 1040-4538) is published four Keith Ashby, Manager, Educational Resources/ Russ Hoffbauer (State Farm Insurance Companies) times per school year — Fall (October/November), Winter National Center Chris Tesmer (Newell Rubbermaid) (December/January), Spring (February/March) and Summer Melissa Wilson, Manager, Human Resources (April/ May) — by SkillsUSA Inc. at 14001 SkillsUSA Way, Roxanne Hodge, Customer Service Representative natiOnal StuDent OfficerS/aDviSOrS Leesburg, VA 20176. Periodicals postage paid at Leesburg, VA, and at additional mailing offices. Copyright 2015 by SkillsUSA. HigH ScHool All rights reserved. Nonmember subscriptions: $15 per year uSineSS artnerShiPS anD evelOPMent (Virginia) b P D Ahmad Shawwal/Timothy McLeod (SkillsUSA members, $1.30 paid with dues or affiliation fees). Kelly Persons, Director Dalton Crump/Elizabeth Crump (North Carolina) Dave Worden, Program Director, SkillsUSA Stephanie Wilburn/Todd Anderson (Oklahoma) POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to SkillsUSA Champions, Championships Robert Gomez/Joe Valdez (Texas) Attn.: Judy Garrison, 14001 SkillsUSA Way, Leesburg, VA 20176. Christen Battaglia, Program Manager, Corporate Antonio Vargas/Laura Velez (Connecticut) and Campaign Development Taylor Mackie/Sheila Fox (Massachusetts) The names SkillsUSA, SkillsUSA Championships and SkillsUSA Karen Beatty, Program Manager, Business Partner- Benjamin Miller/Lauren-Anne Sledzinski (Virginia) Champions; the SkillsUSA: Champions at Work slogan; and the ships and Development Matthew Carder/Deborah Luellen (Ohio) SkillsUSA logo, emblem and slogan art are all registered trade- marks of SkillsUSA Inc. All rights are reserved, and permission Jim Kregiel, Program Manager, SkillsUSA Anastasia Hawkins/Jordan Bedhart (Texas) Championships (Montana) must be granted by the national headquarters of SkillsUSA Summer Diegel/Eric Croft prior to any use. cOMMunicatiOnS anD gOvernMent relatiOnS college/PoStSecondary In keeping with a tradition of respect for the individuality Tom Holdsworth, Associate Executive Director Brooke Johnson/James Carter (North Carolina) of our members and our role in workforce development, Jane Short, Program Manager Quinel Nabors/Joanne Edley (Tennessee) SkillsUSA strives to ensure inclusive participation in all of our Darlenne Helena/Thomas Thoss (Florida) programs, partnerships and employment opportunities. eDucatiOn, training anD aSSeSSMentS Shane Morrison/Ryland Stonehocker (Oklahoma) Marsha Daves, Director Alex Bruin/Michelle Martinez (Arizona) Heidi Walsh, Program Director, Programs and Grant Management Niki Clausen, Associate Director, Training Shelly Coates, Associate Director, Conference Management Services Stephanie Bland, Program Specialist Ashley Ridgeway, Program Specialist, Conference U.S. Postal Service Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation Management Services Publication Title: SkillsUSA Champions. Publication No.: 1040- Stated on PS Form 3541: average, 186,300; issue, 228,375; In- 4538. Filing Date: 10/1/14. Issue Frequency: Fall (October/Novem- County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions Stated on PS Form ber), Winter (December/January), Spring (February/March), Sum- 3541: average, none; issue, none; Sales Through Dealers and Car- Marketing, MeMberShiP anD SaleS mer (April/May). No. of Issues Published Annually: four. Annual riers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales and Other Paid or Requested Kelly Horton, Director Subscription Price: $1.30 for SkillsUSA members as part of dues; Distribution Outside USPS: average, none; issue, none; Judy Garrison, Senior Manager, Membership Services $15 per year for nonmembers. Mailing Address of Known Office Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the Susan Trent, Program Manager, Member Services of Publication: 14001 SkillsUSA Way, Leesburg, VA 20176-5494 USPS: average, none; issue, none. Total Paid and/or Requested Program Manager, Work Force Ready (Loudoun County). Contact Person: E. Thomas Hall, 703-777-8810, Distribution: average, 186,300; issue, 228,375. Nonrequested Dis- Patty Duncan, Ext. 626. Mailing Address of Headquarters: same. Publisher: tribution — Outside-County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS System and Member Services SkillsUSA Inc., same address. Editor: E. Thomas Hall, same Form 3541: average, 2,595; issue, 2,545; In-County Nonrequested address. Owner: SkillsUSA Inc., 14001 SkillsUSA Way, Leesburg, VA Copies Included on PS Form 3541: average, none; issue, none; kanSaS city Office • 816-691-3827 20176. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees and Other Security Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Program Manager, Alumni Holders: none. The purpose, function and nonprofit status of Classes of Mail: average, none; issue, none. Nonrequested Copies Byekwaso Gilbert, this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax Distributed Outside the Mail: average, none; issue, none. Total purposes has not changed during the preceding 12 months. Nonrequested Distribution: average, 2,595; issue, 2,545. Total Dis- aDvertiSing rePreSentativeS fOr SkillSuSa chaMPiOnS Issue Date for Circulation Data: Fall 2014. Extent and Nature of tribution: average, 188,895; issue, 230,920. Copies Not Distrib- Constellation Enterprises Inc. Circulation: Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 uted: average, 1,980; issue, 2,080. Total: average, 190,875; issue, Single Issue 53 Main St./P.O. Box 508, Cherry Valley, NY 13320 Months, 190,875; No. Copies of Published Nearest to 233,000. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: average, Filing Date, 233,000. Legitimate Paid and/or Requested Circula- 99%; issue, 99%. I certify that all information furnished on this 607-264-9069 tion — Outside-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions form is true and complete. E. Thomas Hall, Editor. 4 SkillsUSA Champions Winter 2015 asktim A Shining Standard Executive Director Tim Lawrence has known SkillsUSA as a student member, instructor, industry partner and state director. Got a question? He can help. & Celebrations are great,Q but how In this issue Aof SkillsUSA Champions, our Q: can a focus on SkillsUSA’s 50th annual competition guide provides great anniversary help me and my school? tips for doing well at every level. Even Tim: When people celebrate 50 years, they when our winners find obstacles in their call it a golden anniversary. Throughout way, striving to succeed helps them set a time, gold has been a symbol of optimism gold standard for themselves. There’s the and security. A gold standard is considered story of one student who, despite switch- the best, most reliable or most prestigious. ing careers, ultimately earned a national Such standards have helped propel gold medal and a new Corvette for his SkillsUSA to success over its five decades. school. You’ll also read about the national We are known in the halls of Congress, in TeamWorks champions — students who the White House and by the leaders of our lived up to 100 miles apart but found ways nation’s largest and most powerful corpo- to join together and become the best. rations. As with the national champion- While visionary, our founding group ships, your local or regional SkillsUSA of 200 educators and students in 1965 competitions can help draw attention to probably never imagined SkillsUSA would the important work you are doing. expand to more than 300,000 annual Get your chapter’s public relations members. We’ve touched lives around the committee involved early. Once dates are world, and our impact continues to grow. on the calendar, invite parents,