By ALAN HOSKINS
A record 19 students in Technical Education Center programs at Kansas City Kansas Community have won medals in the 2011-12 Skills USA Kansas competition.
Seven students earned gold medals and will be competing in the national contest to be held at Bartle Hall in Kansas City, Mo., in June. In addition, five TEC students won silver medals and seven earned bronze.
“Finishing in the top three is an outstanding accomplishment,” Skills USA lead advisor Jake Carmack told the medalists. “The level of success KCKCC-TEC realized this year is a direct reflection of the excellence of our technical education faculty and the quality of our students as well as the awesome administrative support of Skills USA.”
A total of 62 KCKCC students under the direction of 12 advisors competed in 14 state contests including three of which were held at the TEC, Major Appliance Repair, Cosmetology and Nail Technology. Hutchinson, Salina and Johnson County each hosted one contest with the remainder held in Wichita.
The list of recipients included eight students from J.C. Harmon, F.L. Schlagle, Turner, Washington and Wyandotte high schools. The recipients, their high schools and areas of competition:
GOLD – Shelley Ambler, Schlagle, Cosmetology; Jeremy Baker, KC Christian, Major Appliance; DeShawn Bailey, Torrance, Calif., Nail Technology. High school: Tina Ho, J.C. Harmon, Nail Technology; Cody Jones, Schlagle, Major Appliance; Mina Moore, Turner, Cosmetology; and Shane Price, Turner, Welding.
SILVER – Rachel Bustamante Faal, Schlagle, Professional Cooking; Misty Nelson, Sumner Academy, Cosmetology. High school: Denise Hudson, Wyandotte, Professional Cooking; Kayla Johnson, Washington, Cosmetology; Tania Ramirez, Wyandotte, Nail Technology.
BRONZE – Van Albers, Ida Grove, Iowa, Major Appliance; Dennisha Henderson, Wyandotte, Cosmetology; Alexandra Loman, Schlagle, Professional Cooking; Jordan Tousey-Bird, Blue Valley West, Auto Collision Repair; Zach Ufford, Olathe East, Auto Collision Repair. High school: Taeisha Martin, Schlagle, Nail Technology; Shea Nicolary, Tonganoxie, Cosmetology.
TEC instructors for the various programs include James Carmack, Major Appliance, LaTonya Taylor, Cosmetology; Cathy Rose, Nail Technology; Cheryl Runnebaum, Professional Cooking; Grant Van Lunen, Welding; and Ron Bales and Richard Gravelle, Auto Collision Repair.
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PHOTO: While eight medalists from high schools were not able to attend, KCKCC students finishing first, second or third in Skills USA state contests were recognized in ceremonies at the TEC. Medalists in attendance included gold medalists (front row, from left) Shelley Ambler, Jeremy Baker and Shane Price; (second row) Denise Hudson, silver; Jordan Tousey-Bird, bronze; Rachel Bustamante Faal, silver; and Alexandra Loman, bronze; (third row) Van Albers and Zach Ufford, both bronze. (KCKCC Photo by Alan Hoskins)
