TN
Tyler Nichols
  • Welding
  • Class of 2015
  • Show Low, AZ

Tyler Nichols competes at AZ SkillsUSA

2015 Apr 17

Northland Pioneer College student Tyler Nichols, from Joseph City, competed in the Arizona SkillsUSA competition in Phoenix, AZ. on April 6-8, 2015.

Nichols who is majoring in Welding, was one of a record 74 students from NPC competing in the statewide event. Overall, students brought home 23 medals, with two earning an opportunity to compete in the national SkillsUSA competition.

"Medalists represented each of our programs and locations, another first for us," noted Frank Pinnell, NPC/NAVIT Skills coordinator, St. Johns welding instructor and NPC program chair for welding and automotive programs. "This reflects the hard work of all of the students, instructors and the NPC staff college-wide." NAVIT students competed in the secondary division, while NPC students were in the post-secondary division.

"I am extremely proud of our students," said Peggy Belknap, NPC's Career and Technical Education (CTE) dean. "To sweep all three medals in the Interviewing category shows how well prepared our students are for the workforce. I applaud all of the students who competed and extend best wishes at the national competition to our gold medalists."

NPC Cosmetology students Cassandra Gardner, Show Low, and Nayeli Morales, St. Johns, captured the gold medal in the Job Demo and Job Interview events, respectively, earning an opportunity to compete at the 51st annual National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC), a showcase of career and technical education students, in Louisville, Ky., June 22-26, 2015.

Led by Morales, NPC students swept the Job Interview event with Alex Merrill, St. Johns Cosmetology, taking silver and Jonathan Nockideneh, Holbrook Welding, bringing home the bronze.

Also receiving silver medals in the Job Demo event were Stephanie Crawford, a NAVIT St. Johns Cosmetology student, and Domonique Attakai, an NPC Winslow Cosmetology student.

"This was only our second year of competing in the Quiz Bowl, and two teams, one each from NPC and NAVIT, advanced to the semi-final round," noted Pinnell. Bringing home the silver medal was the five-member NPC team of Helen Hunt, Chelsea Augustine and Staci Whiting, all Show Low Cosmetology, Jeremy Knowlton, Holbrook Construction, and Alfredo Ortiz, St. Johns Welding,

This was the first year NPC competed in the Internetworking and Tech-Related Math events. Tyler Nichols, Show Low Welding, took the bronze in the Math and Ian Graham, Snowflake CIS, received the bronze in the Internetworking.

In the Welding event, NAVIT's Theron Wood, St. Johns, won the bronze. NPC St. Johns Welding classmates Alfredo Ortiz and Tyler Nichols earned silver and bronze awards respectively.

In the Fire Science event, NAVIT students Jacob Mooney earned a silver, and Oscar Aguero received the bronze award.

Dylan Manning, an NPC Show Low Automotive student, brought home a bronze award.

In the Carpentry event, medals went to NPC Holbrook students Cody Begaye, silver, and Jeremy Knowlton, bronze.

NPC Show Low students Misty Hancock, silver, and Staci Whiting, bronze, won medals in the Cosmetology event.

SkillsUSA is an applied method of instruction for preparing America's high performance workers enrolled in public career and technical programs. It provides quality education experiences for students in leadership, teamwork, citizenship and character development. It builds and reinforces self-confidence, work attitudes and communications skills. SkillsUSA is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and is cited as a "successful model of employer-driven youth development training program" by the U.S. Department of Labor and is an OSHA Alliance partner.