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The Lincoln-Way East SkillsUSA Community Service and Welding Fabrication teams are heading to national competition in Atlanta in June.
Two Lincoln-Way East SkillsUSA teams are headed to the national competition, a showcase for the nation's top career and technical students.
The Skills USATeam chapter punched its ticket to the finals to be held June 20-24 in Atlanta by winning the state title in Peoria April 28-30.
The Community Service team — led by Addison Gast, Avery Gast and Alivia Ozinga — presented its project to a panel of five judges in Peoria. Each member spoke about the project, how they designed and implemented it. They also described how the project, which included a binder and slide show, benefited their community and school. The team scored an exceptional 98.5% overall.
The team, supported by the Lincoln-Way ROTC, parents and staff, raised more than $6,400 for the Our Fallen Hero Foundation in memory of PFC Aaron Toppen and the Illinois United Service Organization in conjunction with its BBQ for the Brave benefit.
"I am very proud of our Community Service team," Daymon Gast, the SkillsUSA adviser, said in a news release. "They had an intricate task of putting all the moving pieces into place for the actual service project then had to perform a public speaking presentation.
"As we all know public speaking can be challenging, but they hit a home run with it,' the first-year adviser continued. "They gained valuable insight on how to be a generous and compassionate individual, a trait that today's employers really appreciate. I think this experience will have a life changing impact on how they perceive their ability to help others like the Aaron Toppen Foundation and the USO-IL."
The Community Service team will be joined at nationals by the Lincoln-Way East Welding Fabrication team of Tori Hay, Brian Rooney and Nolan Trippiciho. They also took first place in state by finishing a predetermined project in three hours. It included a variety of welds as well as a written test in two categories, intermediate and advanced.
They were the only team in the competition to meet all the welding requirements and build a working weld positioner stand. In Atlanta, they will have to complete a project in six hours.
"The Welding Fabrication team did an outstanding job of preparing for the event," Gast said in the news release. "People would be surprised by how many hours of practice and thought went into this. They practiced morning and night. They were so smart, they worked together excellently. A perfect blend of understanding each other's strengths and communicating ... that's what this competition is about and that is what today's employers are looking for in their own workers. These students will have a definite edge in today's job market.”
SkillsUSA is just one program offered at Lincoln-Way schools to support students seeking to enter a trade after high school.
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The Lincoln-Way East SkillsUSA Community Service and Welding Fabrication teams are heading to national competition in Atlanta in June.
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