SkillsUSA students travelled to the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi to compete in SkillsUSA State from Thursday, April 4, to Sunday, April 7, where they had the chance to compete to qualify for Nationals.  To qualify for State, students had to be the top three from their category in Districts.

“I’ve been a member of SkillsUSA for the past two years. I can confidently say that being included in a club that focuses so much on preparing someone for a workplace setting has helped me become more sure of my future,” Anuja Uppuluri ‘21 said. “The club has opened me up to many different possibilities for my future career and provided me with opportunities to develop my organization, preparation, and professionalism.”

The trip was not only educational but also a time to take a break from the stress of school. During their free time, students visited the Texas State Aquarium, the U.S.S. Lexington, and the beach where they could enjoy the ocean breeze.

“I really liked going to the beach and the aquarium. My partner and I walked around and got to explore Corpus Christi. It was really great having time to relax and learn about the different animals of the Gulf of Mexico,” Anavi Nayak ‘21 said.

The final day was the closing ceremony when students discovered if they advanced to nationals. Excitement, nerves, and anticipation packed the auditorium in which the ceremony was held as finalists were called out one by one.

“My group and I competed in the Health Knowledge Bowl. We ended up getting our results from the knowledge bowl as soon as we finished competing,” Chris Fan ‘20 said. “However, we still had to wait for point deductions and points from the SkillsUSA knowledge test to be accounted for. In the end, we placed second in the state.”

Below is a list of those who placed at state.

National qualifiers will be traveling to Kentucky from June 24 to 29, to compete once more at Nationals.