SkillsUSA takes third in national competition On June 24-29, 2019 students and advisors from the SkillsUSA Chapter of Holmes Community College Goodman Campus attended the National SkillsUSA Competition in Louisville, Kentucky.
The week-long event yielded seven medals to Goodman students.
Members of the Opening and Closing Team competed in April 2019 in Jackson at the SkillsUSA State Competition, where they clinched first place and secured their spot to represent Holmes and the state of Mississippi at the national level. The Opening and Closing Team was anchored by veteran Hallie Westbrook, who, two years ago, was on the Opening and Closing Team that won first place in the state and third in the nation. Derrick Rainey served as the Coach for the Team back in 2017 and again this year during the 2019 surge that finished third in the nation again this year.
"It's like a building, the success part, that is," Advisor Will Alexander explained. "You need a good, solid foundation and strong support for a building to stand tall and weather the storm. Derrick is that foundation we have in our organization, especially in regard to coaching public speaking. He has a way of pulling charisma out of students and building champions."
Months of memorization, speech preparation, and animation went into the success of the Team and their accomplishments. This particular year was more challenging than others in that the Team encompassed student members from five different Vocational and/or Technical programs of study. These seven students overcame many obstacles to practice and excel in their area of competition.
Members of the 2019 SkillsUSA Opening and Closing Team were: (left to right) Audrey Elmore – Historian (Cosmetology), Jada Ware – Treasurer (Cosmetology), Yernita Parham – Vice President (Welding), Hallie Westbrook – President (Architectural Engineering Technology), David Hasty – Secretary (HVAC), Corey Boone – Reporter (Industrial Technology), and Devin Leal – Parliamentarian (HVAC).
