STUDENTS AT IOWA LAKES COMMUNITY COLLEGE
CHAPTER OF SKILLSUSA TO COMPETE AT STATE

Forty-five students from the Iowa Lakes Community College chapter of SkillsUSA will compete at the state SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills conference at Northeast Iowa Community College in Dubuque on March 30-31.

Twenty-five of the students competing are representing one of eight area high schools and are part of the Iowa Lakes Community College Career Academy program.

The students are competing in the areas of: advertising design, air cooled gas engine repair, automotive service, collision repair, marine service, motorcycle service, team works, TV/video production and welding.

Competitors earning first place in their division (secondary or post secondary) will advance to the National SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills conference in Kansas City, MO, on June 20-24.

Fifteen Iowa Lakes students advanced to the national conference in 2004. Post secondary competitors in team works and motorcycle service placed third in the nation and were awarded bronze medals.

SkillsUSA is unique because of its long-time partnerships with business and industry. Business and industry leaders organize the competitions that are held at the state and national level. Major emphasis is placed on quality, high ethical standards, performance and pride in work.

Students attending include: Kady Brauninger of Correctionville; Armin Schnelle of Terril; Casey Cook of Carroll; Martin Dahl and Tyler Osborn of Swea City; Darren Schultz of Sumner; Ryan Roder of Marathon; Kenneth Linton of Spirit Lake; Eric Molison and Logan Miller of Emmetsburg; Austin Olson of Pocahontas; Andrew Berte of Livermore; Kyle Hefty of Lu Verne; Kylan Poulson, Isaiah Borel, Jerod Frideres, Dustin Hilsabeck, Chad Lane, Dale Baer, Kelly Teeselink, Jace Boekelman and Brandon Long of Algona; Shea Levisay and Clay Riedesel of Spencer; Dallas Maday and Nick Larsen of Ringsted; Justin Vrba of Protivin; Matthew Dahl, Alex Lundgren, Zach Brandt and Travis Anderson of Estherville; Carl Carnes Jr. of Clinton; Nicholas Kaiser of Audubon; Dillon Malone of Dunlap; Andrew Staton of Alta; Dean Anderson of Mallard; Jacob Lundgren of Wallingford; Joshua Becker and Grant Lavrenz of Burt; David Gengler of Le Mars; Kristopher Roush of Moravia; Justin Opheim of Cylinder; Jason Feld of Swea City; Christopher Miller of Stratford; and Benjamin Landsteiner of Fairmont, Minn.

SkillsUSA is a national organization serving more than 250,000 high school and college students who are enrolled in training programs in technical, skilled and service occupations.

The group’s mission is based upon the premise that the craftsperson and technician must have more than just technical skills. They place great emphasis on free enterprise and community service.