TEMPLE, Texas — Temple High School’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department had a large number of students win medals or ribbons at the SkillsUSA State Leadership Conference in Corpus Christi. Those students were competing in automotive engine repair, paint, body, and collision repair, and manufacturing/machining.
The Temple High School students also competed in two different types of contests – job exhibits and technical information testing. The job exhibits competition featured physical projects produced by the students and then presented to judges. The technical information testing competition is more of a knowledge-based contest.
In the automotive engine repair job exhibit competition, Dylan Lopez, Alejandro Munoz, and Basnet Rushan teamed up to win Best in Show for Transmissions. Noe Gonzalez, Isaiah Velasquez, Daniel Rivera-Arroyo, and Fabian Zuniga partnered for a Best in Show for Engine Short Block. Conner Dale added a Best in Show for Auto Electrical Components. A state superior rating in the job exhibit competition earns a Blue Ribbon for competitors. Azaryah Camacho and Romain Jacoby earned state superior recognition for their turbo while Santiago Landeros, Sebastian Leon, and Chester Williams took state superior for their axle. Georgina Martinez and Daniel Jimenez were awarded state superior for their transmission and Luis Juarez Jr. and Rolando Ramirez claimed state superior honors for their turbo. Individual projects recognized with state superior honors included Bryson Watkins for alternator and Ignacio Ugalde for starter.
In the paint, body, and collision repair job exhibit competition, Guillermo Ramirez, Juan Gallegos, and Emiliano Hernandez won Best in Show for their hood project. Josiah Davis-Iiams and Corbin Campbell took Best in Show for their turbo project, and Andrew Diaz and Jaxson Fraley teamed up to win state superior honors for their alternator.
In the technical information testing competition, Santiago Landeros and Daniel Rivera-Arroyo both won gold medals in steering and suspension and Isaiah Velasquez added a silver medal in that contest. Azaryah Camacho, Chester Williams, Dylan Lopez, Velasquez, and Ignacio Ugalde all earned silver medals in electrical with Sebastian Leon and Bryaon Watkins adding bronze medals. Lopez, Alejandro Munoz, and Daniel Jimenez all won silver medals in transmissions. Emma Fisher won a silver medal in CNC 3 Axis. Camacho and Rivera-Arroyo earned silver in brakes with Noe Gonzalez and Rolando Ramiez adding bronze medals. Gonzalez also won a bronze medal in air conditioning.
“Career and technical student organizations like SkillsUSA are where the classroom meets the real world,” said Sara Bartlett, director of career and technical education for Temple ISD. “Our students aren’t just demonstrating technical knowledge; they are proving they have the leadership, work ethic, and problem-solving skills to be successful in today’s industries. Competition experiences bridge the gap between being a student and becoming a professional. I am proud of the way our students represented Temple ISD and the Wildcat Workforce.”
Temple High School had a total of 53 students qualify to advance to the SkillsUSA State Leadership Conference. The competitions these students competed in are capped at the state level and do not automatically advance to the National Leadership Conference.