Four TSTC students in West Texas qualify for SkillsUSA national event

(ABILENE, Texas) - Four Texas State Technical College students in West Texas claimed gold medals at the recent SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary State Leadership and Skills Conference in Houston.

Aulton Lira, Kimberly Lozano-Ryman and the team of Joshua Rains and Hunter Spohn won their respective events and have the opportunity to represent TSTC at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, scheduled for June 24-28 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Lira, of Ozona, won the Electronics Technology competition. The Wind Energy Technology student said competing in the state event built his confidence.

"Competing in SkillsUSA showed me that I am able to step outside of my comfort zone," he said. "I look forward to representing TSTC in Atlanta."

Lozano-Ryman, a Vocational Nursing student from Anson, took the top prize in Medical Assisting. She said SkillsUSA showed her the importance of preparation.

"My instructor gave me the material on what I would expect to see when competing," she said. "I also had years of experience working as a medical assistant, so it just came naturally."

Rains, of Sweetwater, and Spohn, of Eula, won the Emergency Medical Technician team event against a field of paramedic students. Rains and Spohn are students in the Emergency Medical Services program.

"It makes it a little more special knowing we beat a field of paramedics," Spohn said.

Rains had a different view.

"It was nerve-wracking (to compete) against people who already have field experience," he said.

Nine other students from TSTC's West Texas locations also earned medals at the state competition.

Silver medalists were Janice Freed (First Aid - CPR), Ben Hecker (Related Technical Math) and Shayne Howard (Electronics Technology).

Teams that received bronze medals were David Aman and Tristan Potter (Emergency Medical Technician) and Demetrio Davila and Thomas Hall (Mechatronics). Individual bronze medalists were Clara Rodriguez (Welding Sculpture) and Jamila Skrhak (Nurse Assisting).

SkillsUSA is a professional organization focused on employability, leadership and technical skills that can help college students pursue successful careers and be part of a skilled workforce.

Registration for TSTC's summer and fall semesters is underway.Learn more at tstc.edu.

TSTC Vocational Nursing students who received medals at the recent SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary State Leadership and Skills Conference in Houston were (left to right) Jamila Skrhak, Kimberly Lozano-Ryman and Janice Freed.TSTC student Aulton Lira (right) was awarded the gold medal in Electronics Technology at the recent SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary State Leadership and Skills Conference in Houston. Also pictured is TSTC student Shayne Howard, who received the silver medal.

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