championsSkillsUSA FALL 2014 golden opportunities celebrating 50 years of champions at work conference highlights and winners preserving our heritage our new, state-of-the-art website They’re Making the Cut Chefs on the Rise WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A CHAMPION? STANDARDS Available in October. 2015-2016 SkillsUSA Championships Technical Standards Book Order the book for $35.95 at www.lulu.com Available in October. 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 Get ready to compete. The latest edition, available in October. championsSkillsUSA SkillsUSA’s Official Magazine BOARD OF DIRECTORS 14001 SkillsUSA Way, Leesburg, VA 20176-5494 Brent Kindred (Wisconsin) 703-777-8810 Michael de Castro (Air Products) www.skillsusa.org Chris Arvin (Caterpillar University) James King (Tennessee) MAGAZINE STAFF/OFFICE OF PUBLICATIONS Dave Milliken (Utah) Tom Hall, Director Peggy Torrens (Kansas) Ann Schreiber, Associate Director, Communications Charles Wallace (Maryland) Craig Moore, Manager, Web/Technology Alex Gromada (Association for Career and Technical Tom Kercheval, Manager, Audiovisual Technology/ Education) Communications Kathy Mannes (American Association of Community Colleges) OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer Polz (SkillsUSA State Directors Association) Tim Lawrence, Executive Director Scott Stump (National Association of State Directors Sandra Moore, Administrative Assistant of Career and Technical Education Consortium) Troy Dally (Lowe’s Companies Inc.) ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE Laurie Hackett (Air Products) Kim Graham, Director Russ Hoffbauer (State Farm Insurance Companies) Keith Ashby, Manager, Educational Resources/ Chris Tesmer (Newell Rubbermaid) SkillsUSA champions online National Center Melissa Wilson, Manager, Human Resources NATIONAL STUDENT OFFICERS/ADVISORS Visit the SkillsUSA Champions “e-zine” version Roxanne Hodge, Customer Service Representative HIGH SCHOOL at www.skillsusa.org/champions/ to flip through Ahmad Shawwal/Timothy McLeod (Virginia) articles, view videos and extra photos and get BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS AND DEVELOPMENT Dalton Crump/Elizabeth Crump (North Carolina) updates. You’ll find archives of past issues, adver- Kelly Persons, Director Stephanie Wilburn/Todd Anderson (Oklahoma) tiser links, lesson plans for new issues, and more. Dave Worden, Program Director, SkillsUSA Robert Gomez/Joe Valdez (Texas) Championships Antonio Vargas/Laura Velez (Connecticut) See even more champions on our frequently Christen Battaglia, Program Manager, Corporate Taylor Mackie/Sheila Fox (Massachusetts) updated website, www.skillsusa.org, as well as: and Campaign Development Benjamin Miller/Lauren-Anne Sledzinski (Virginia) Karen Beatty, Program Manager, Business Partner- Matthew Carder/Deborah Luellen (Ohio) ships and Development Anastasia Hawkins/Jordan Bedhart (Texas) Jim Kregiel, Program Manager, SkillsUSA Summer Diegel/Eric Croft (Montana) Championships COLLEGE/POSTSECONDARY Volume 49, No. 1 COMMUNICATIONS AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS Brooke Johnson/James Carter (North Carolina) SkillsUSA Champions (ISSN 1040-4538) is published four Tom Holdsworth, Associate Executive Director Quinel Nabors/Joanne Edley (Tennessee) times per school year — Fall (October/November), Winter Jane Short, Program Manager Darlenne Helena/Thomas Thoss (Florida) (December/January), Spring (February/March) and Summer Shane Morrison/Ryland Stonehocker (Oklahoma) (April/ May) — by SkillsUSA Inc. at 14001 SkillsUSA Way, EDUCATION, TRAINING AND ASSESSMENTS Alex Bruin/Michelle Martinez (Arizona) Leesburg, VA 20176. Periodicals postage paid at Leesburg, VA, and at additional mailing offices. Copyright 2014 by SkillsUSA. Marsha Daves, Director All rights reserved. Nonmember subscriptions: $15 per year ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES FOR SKILLSUSA CHAMPIONS Heidi Walsh, Program Director, Programs and Grant (SkillsUSA members, $1.30 paid with dues or affiliation fees). Management Constellation Enterprises Inc. Niki Clausen, Associate Director, Training 53 Main St./P.O. Box 508 POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to SkillsUSA Champions, Shelly Coates, Associate Director, Conference Cherry Valley, NY 13320 Attn.: Judy Garrison, 14001 SkillsUSA Way, Leesburg, VA 20176. Management Services 607-264-9069 Stephanie Bland, Program Specialist The names SkillsUSA, SkillsUSA Championships and SkillsUSA Ashley Ridgeway, Program Specialist, Conference Champions; the SkillsUSA: Champions at Work slogan; and the SkillsUSA logo, emblem and slogan art are all registered trade- Management Services marks of SkillsUSA Inc. All rights are reserved, and permission must be granted by the national headquarters of SkillsUSA MARKETING, MEMBERSHIP AND SALES prior to any use. Kelly Horton, Director Judy Garrison, Senior Manager, Membership Services In keeping with a tradition of respect for the individuality Susan Trent, Program Manager, Member Services of our members and our role in workforce development, Patty Duncan, Program Manager, Work Force Ready SkillsUSA strives to ensure inclusive participation in all of our System and Member Services programs, partnerships and employment opportunities. KANSAS CITY OFFICE • 816-691-3827 Byekwaso Gilbert, SkillsUSA Program Manager 4 SkillsUSA Champions Fall 2014 asktim Celebrate the Journey Executive Director Tim Lawrence has known SkillsUSA as a student member, instructor, industry partner and state director. Got a question? He can help. Q&A SkillsUSA will commemorate its To help you see how far we’ve all Q:50th birthday this school year. come in 50 years, this issue includes a What’s the best way to be a part of it? few historical facts. It also lists our 2014 Tim: Any new academic year holds great SkillsUSA Championships winners from potential for our organization and for across the nation. Each name printed every student, educator and business represents a student’s journey, with a partner who decides to become involved. teacher or two behind it. Before this one is over, we’ll also celebrate As you begin your personal journey this a major milestone: the golden anniversary school year, remember that one of the of SkillsUSA’s founding on May 8, 1965. biggest mistakes we can make in life is to While we’ll be looking back at our constantly compare ourselves to others. amazing journey over the past 50 years, There is no one right way to learn, grow, it’s important to look toward the future. feel or achieve. People are as unique as We’re focused on helping all our current snowflakes — only by tapping into what members realize their full potential. As makes us special can we find our strengths you develop the technical and professional and build on them. SkillsUSA is inclusive, skills that come through SkillsUSA, take and everyone can find a role this year as a moment to celebrate how you personally a member, officer, contestant, delegate, are helping to move our schools, commu- observer, technical committee member, nities and nation forward. contest judge or volunteer. Such journeys are the theme of this SkillsUSA’s focus has always been about magazine issue. Some take us to the other students becoming the best they can be side of the world, such as our Water Inno- and finding a niche in the organization. vation Challenge team going to Singa- Throughout this anniversary year, stay pore. Some take us to the bright lights of connected through our magazine, the new New York, as with our future chefs who www.skillsusa.org and social media. We’ll competed on TV’s “Chopped.” And some keep you posted on the buildup to our big happen right at home. Our SkillsUSA celebration and the role you can play. • Advisor of the Year has spent 30 years in Carthage, Mo., actively moving students Got questions about SkillsUSA or other topics? forward. You’ll also read about a student’s Email [email protected] or send a letter to journey leading to a pretty sweet career in the address on the facing page. Put “Ask Tim” Hershey, Pa., despite personal challenges. in the subject line or mail address. Fall 2014 SkillsUSA Champions 5 what’snew Real-World Skills Setting New Standards very two years, SkillsUSA updates and revises the E SkillsUSA Championships Techni- Help Solve cal Standards, and the latest update is coming this fall. This plus-sized tome comes in CD-ROM or book format and contains the official rules, regula- Real Problems tions and guidelines for competing in every official SkillsUSA contest. These ee that column just to the right of Both teams were required to design contests are created with huge input Sthis one? That’s where, last issue, we innovative plumbing solutions for specific from our industry partners, ensuring wished our team from the United States communities in Nepal and Bangladesh that students are learning the most well as they prepared to compete in the suffering health issues from poor sanita- up-to-date skills in their field of study. inaugural Water Innovation Challenge in tion conditions. After a series of hands-on A lack of using this resource has been Singapore. Why have they made the jump challenges that included building a hand linked to medal-free competition to this column? Because they won! bore pump, assembling a rainwater collec- results. Find it at: www.skillsusa.org/store/ The four-member team — including tion system, and installing a solar pump, technicalstandards.html. • three former SkillsUSA members — faced the American team emerged victorious. a team from Australia during the intense For more, including video,