The 2016 SkillsUSA region championship occurred last Friday, February 5, at Atlanta Technical College in Metro Atlanta where NC students competed in their specific categories against all other schools in the region.

NC brought home the gold, with junior Yida Wang winning gold for architectural drafting, sophomore Nolan Moore winning gold for plumbing, and freshman Patrick Duckett winning gold for cabinet making, all receiving their ticket to state. Broadcast news, represented by Lexi Medina, Josh Arias, Raven Balentine and Emmett Schindler, received bronze, guaranteeing their spot into state as well.

“I had so much fun competing at competition at regions because not only did I bond more with my team, but I also got to meet and interact with other members who share the same passion and drive I do,” SkillsUSA Georgia State President senior Lexi Medina said.

Members met at Kennesaw Mountain at 7:30 A.M. for the bus ride there. Once arrived, they each received a name tag with their corresponding category for which competition they partake in. The name tag also served as a lunch ticket. From there, students went into the auditorium until everyone arrived to begin competition.

Once all the schools filed into the auditorium, representatives announced each category one by one. Categories included drafting, job interviewing, cosmetology, welding, and more. A major aspect of SkillsUSA, broadcast news, did not compete Friday because they had to submit a video and take an online test prior to the actual competition.

NC students then took the stage at each of their competitions, striving for that gold medal. To make it to the next level, state, most categories require either a gold or silver medal. For broadcast news, gold, silver, and bronze medals earn state berths. During all the events going on, the NC broadcast news team patiently waited, talking to other broadcast news schools and visiting some of the competitions.

“It was a very interesting experience, but a lot of fun too because of the fact that I got to see the different competitions, competitors and meet some people from different schools,” junior Josh Arias said.

“I really enjoyed the Skills Championship on Friday! It’s always great when I get to spend time with my team and be around people who love the organization just like me. We are all a huge family and that’s what makes it so fun. I’m excited for state and hopefully nationals,” senior Raven Balentine said.

Each NC SkillsUSA member celebrates for all the accomplishments the competitors achieved. March 17-19 mark the state championships, awaiting the next step towards what broadcast news accomplished last year, nationals.