NTC students win statewide competitions

By Karen Francis
Diné Bureau

CROWNPOINT — Eight students from Navajo Technical College won state championships in the Skills USA competitions held in Albuquerque April 3-5.

The state champions received gold medals and are invited to the national competition in Kansas City, Mo., in June.
Winning gold medals from NTC were Sheena Begay and Dody Begay for Web Page Design, Althea Whitney for Nurse Assisting, Edilyn Clah for First Aid CPR, Burt Chee for Jobs Skill Demonstration A, Lena Natan for Jobs Skill Demonstration Open, Annie Bighand for Technical Computer Applications and Dwight Smith for Technical Drafting.

Eleven students also won bronze or silver medals at the state-wide competition. A total of 33 NTC students were among the 500 participants.

Julie Bales, one of the faculty advisors for the team, said that the competition was divided into two general categories — one for leadership skills and one for trades skills.

She added that the college itself had a competition to select some of the students to send to the state competition. The students who entered were especially dedicated because the competition fell on spring break this year and they had to give up half their spring break to attend the conference in Albuquerque.

“They really have to know their stuff. They have to zero in on and hone their skills,” Bales said.

Bales, an English and communications instructor, helped to coach students as they practiced for the various competitions.

Bob Witte, who teaches Culinary Arts at the college, said that Skills USA helps students become better leaders in the community.

“Basically it builds character in our students. It gets them used to competition, gets them ready for challenges they might face in the working world,” he said.

“Skills USA , as the organization’s literature says, results in high ethical standards, superior work skills, lifelong education, pride and community service,” Witte said. “It helps students strengthen the workforce both for the Navajo Nation, the state of New Mexico and the country as a whole.”

Witte said that Chee won a gold medal by demonstrating how to cut a chicken properly and Natan won for showing how to set a formal table. They learned their skills through classes at the NTC.

NTC offers courses that help the students who compete in such categories as food and beverage services, extemporaneous speech, and architectural drafting.

According to NTC, Skills USA is a national nonprofit organization serving students enrolled in career and technical education training programs in colleges and high schools. More than 200,000 students compete nation-wide in a variety of skill areas designed to help students become world-class workers and responsible American citizens.

Winning either silver or bronze medals were NTC students Lena Natan, Ricknell Delgarito, Dody Begay, Jimarison Bizahaloni, Alden Marshall, Rayvina Smith, Cecily Maryboy, Laura Lee Yazzie, Royce Collins and Dewayne Rintala.