FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact Bethany Kendrick

Director Public Relations

Labette Community College

620-820-1280

 

LCC SKILLSUSA Competes at Nationals

 

The winners of the annual SkillsUSA Championships in extemporaneous speaking were announced at the Awards Ceremony of the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. Pete Reynolds, a non-traditional student at Labette Community College won the national postsecondary silver medal for this competition. The Conference was held June 23 - June 27, 2008, at the Municipal Auditorium, the Kemper Arena, H. Roe Bartle Hall, the downtown Marriott and the downtown Radisson in Kansas City, Missouri.  Over 5,000 outstanding career and technical education students joined in the excitement of hands‑on competition in ninety-one different trade, technical, and leadership fields.

 

“We’re proud of Pete’s outstanding accomplishment and how well he represented LCC at this national event,” said David Colburn, associate dean of career technical education. “To have a national silver medalist in our first year of having a SkillsUSA chapter at the college is very rewarding, and it serves as an example for our other students of what they can achieve here at LCC.”

 

Working against the clock and each other, the participants proved their expertise in job skills for occupations such as electronics, technical drafting, precision machining, medical assisting and culinary arts. There were also competitions in leadership skills, such as extemporaneous speaking and conducting meetings by parliamentary procedures.

 

SkillsUSA is the national organization for students in trade, industrial, technical and health occupations education. It sponsors the SkillsUSA Championships annually to recognize the achievements of career and technical education students and to encourage them to strive for excellence and pride in their chosen occupations.

 

The contests are designed and planned by representatives of labor and management.  Contests test the skills needed for a successful entry-level performance in occupations.  The non-occupationally-specific leadership contests represent a variety of communications, goal setting and teamwork skills -- all geared to enhance a student's qualities of leadership, responsibility, and character.

 

Extemporaneous Speaking requires contestants to give a three- to five-minute speech on an assigned topic with five minutes of advance preparation.  Contestants enter the preparation area one at a time where they are given a speech topic. They are judged on voice, mechanics, platform deportment, organization and effectiveness.                      

 

The members of the national technical committee for the extemporaneous speaking contest include Chair Jim Maynard, Parkside High School (Md.); Valerie Deisinger, American Technical Publishers Inc. (Ill.); K.C. Mathews, UMB Investment Advisors (Mo.); and, Sally Whittaker (Mo.)

 

The national education team assists the national technical committee.  Members include Arline Buchman (Pa.) and Etta Maynard (Md.).

 

Other supporting organizations include Best Buy Co., Inc.; Milwaukee; National Occupational Competency Testing Institute; and U.S. Army Recruiting Command.

 

“This has been an awesome year for Labette Community College’s SkillsUSA Chapter”, said Becky Warren, Advisor. “Our chapter was formed in August 2007 and ended the year with 21 members. Members consist of 13 Career Technical Education Students from program areas such as Computer Networking, Criminal Justice, Nursing, Office Technology and Radiography. Professional members consisted of 7 Staff and Faculty, and 1 Business Leader.”

 

“The support for this new chapter has been overwhelming on campus and from other area SkillsUSA Chapters such as Pittsburg State University, Fort Scott Community College and Labette County High School. Being a member of SkillsUSA is an overwhelming and exciting experience. Ending the year with Pete winning second place in Extemporaneous Speaking at the national level put icing on the cake,” said Warren.