Skills U.S.A.

Clubs are what help shape the culture of our high school. From special interests to community service, the variety not only expands student horizons but also enables a connection between students. In Skills U.S.A., students can learn professional skills and apply them in life.
“[Skills U.S.A.] promotes professional leadership and vocational traits,” Oscar Motta, the clubʼs adviser, said.
Meeting every Monday at 3:30 in room I-A2, the club has students doing hands-on activities, such as drafting, woodshop and web page design. Students also participate in architectural studies, as well as public speaking practice. Etiquette lessons and a required resume are also included in the clubʼs course. What the members of the club really strive for, however, is the competitions come January.
These competitions are a test of everything the club members practice throughout the year, such as architecture and woodshop. The competitions are broken into three levels: regional, state and national. A gold or silver medal in regional advances the participant into state. For the national competition, in which all 250 clubs around the nation participate, a gold medal is required from state. Because rurally trained kids come to compete, the competitions become steadily more challenging at each level.
Although Skills U.S.A. was not available for the past three years, the club had previously been on campus for fi fteen years. Motta hopes that the students who come to the club will become responsible individuals who are able to speak to adults with confidence. He also wants underclassmen, especially juniors, to get involved so that they may be eligible for competition in the next years.
“[Skills U.S.A.ʼs main goal is] to help students learn skills to gain connections to outside [establishments],” President Pierce Sann said.

Jennifer Pierce
Copy Editor