SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS, THEY SUPPORT US!
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS, THEY SUPPORT US!
SkillsUSA Georgia Sponsor Partnerships and Career Expo Booths
The SkillsUSA Georgia Career Expo will be February 23, 2024 at the Georgia World Congress Center. We are excited to welcome back our industry to register for booths to have direct access to middle school, high school, and technical college students and instructors from across the state. If interested in becoming a SkillsUSA industry partner, click here: SkillsUSA Industry Partner Information
MEET YOUR 2023-2024 OFFICERS!
President, Jose Rodriquez
Design and Media Production Technology
Augusta Technical College
Jose Rodriquez, a determined 27-year-old individual, embodies an unwavering commitment to personal and professional excellence. Despite facing numerous challenges, he maintains resilience and a drive for success. With exceptional leadership skills, Jose's ability to navigate obstacles with grace and determination is an inspiration to his peers, leaving an indelible mark on the professional landscape.
Secretary, Janet Penaloza
Health Information Management Technology
Lanier Technical College
Janet Penaloza is a 32-year-old wife and mother of three little girls from Gainesville, Georgia. She began at Lanier Technical College in the fall semester of 2018 for the Health Information Management Technology program, and at the end of the spring semester of 2019, had to drop out of school, quit her job, and left someone else in charge of her small cleaning business. Her second oldest child was diagnosed with Leukemia in August 2019, so she left everything to become her full-time caregiver. That time in her life was the hardest she had ever experienced, but it was one of the most rewarding experiences in her life, as she has learned and grown as a person from it. Her daughter is on her way to a full recovery, in remission, and the happiest kid. As a mother of three, a student, a work-study employee, and involved in school clubs, she is busy, busy, busy but could not do it without the help and support of her husband. She is back in school and ready to get to the finish line of her degree. Even though she is busy, she manages to find time to do things that make her happy. Some of her hobbies include arts and crafts, decorating and party planning, dance choreography, organizing, and cleaning house. At times, she does not get to do all these things but she will find time do some. Her children’s happiness is one of her main priorities so finding ways to get them involved with what she enjoys makes her happy.
Parliamentarian, Monica Sifuentes Velazquez
Business Management Technology
Gwinnett Technical College
Monica Sifuentes Velazquez is a driven individual from Norcross, GA, currently studying Business Management at Gwinnett Technical College. Her leadership skills have been showcased in her various roles, such as Secretary of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), Secretary of the Student Government Association (SGA), President of the Georgia Student Government Association (GSGA), and Vice President of her local SkillsUSA chapter. Monica has also earned bronze medals for her prepared and extemporaneous speeches during her time with SkillsUSA. Monica enjoys reading, hiking, traveling, and volunteering for her son's Boy Scouts of America troop when she is not focused on her studies and leadership roles. As the 2023-2024 SkillsUSA Georgia Post-Secondary State Parliamentarian, Monica is honored to serve and make a positive impact.
Reporter, Sharon Broady
Business Management Technology
Gwinnett Technical College
57-year-old Sharon Broady is committed to assisting others in becoming their best selves. She was born and raised in the tiny rural community of Rockingham, North Carolina. She moved to Georgia over 14 years ago in an effort to better herself and provide better opportunities for her family. She earned her Medical Assistant degree from Gwinnett College of Business and spent more than 22 years working in a variety of hospitals. She earned an Associate Degree in Surgical Technology from Brown Mackie College in 2013 and graduated with honors. At Gwinnett Technical College, she is currently working toward an Associate Degree in Business Technology while also earning certificates in Microsoft Office Applications, Medical Billing Clerk, Administrative Support Assistant, and Medical Front Office Assistant. Sharon plans to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Technology after earning her Associate Degree. She participated in a number of activities at Gwinnett Technical College, including Student Government Association, Student Ambassador, and served as the local SkillsUSA chapter's Parliamentarian for the past two years. While attending Gwinnett Technical College, she won a number of accolades and awards, including the Amy Holloway Scholarship and the Walton EMC Scholarship. She was a Gwinnett Technical College Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) finalist in 2022 and 2023, and the SkillsUSA gold medalist and national silver medalist for Prepared Speech. Sharon has been inducted into the Technical Honor Society and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Most recently, she was named the Student of Excellence of the Year for 2023. Her interests include participating in any ball-related sport, watching movies, having fun, and discussing the Bible with her friends. Despite everything she does, she manages to put her family first. Sharon enjoys spending time with her granddaughter, Mariyah. Sharon participates in community service projects with her Sorority, the church, the school, and an assisted living facility. She firmly believes that the people we assist make us who we are. She has a huge amount of gratitude for SkillsUSA for giving her life meaning by helping her develop into the person she is today. Sharon will always keep SkillsUSA as a part of her life, and is thrilled to serve as a state officer for the 2023 – 2024 year.
2024 GEORGIA STATE
SKILLSUSA LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
March 1, 2024
If you are trying to remember just how great the Georgia State SkillsUSA Leadership Conference was, click on the link below to refresh your memory! Our man on the ground captured some great images and caught our competitors doing some great things. Give this a glance, you might see your friends or yourself here.
Let's Chat!
We are pleased to announce that we've added a CONTACT US BUTTON! Just click on the Connect with your Leadership Team button above and now you'll be directed to a form that you may use to contact us. We love to hear from our SkillsUSA Teammates. So, whatever is on your mind, if you have a suggestion or question, zip it to us and let's discuss it. Remember, we're listening!
NEWS AND NOTES
LOOKOUT DOWNTOWN HERE WE COME
October 15, 2023
Downtown Atlanta had better be ready. SkillsUSA Georgia Postsecondary will be taking over the World Congress Center with our largest conference ever. We've been working hard to get everything ready for you! So polish up those tools and shine up your shoes. Sharpen your pencils and attitudes. Come compete, show off your skills, meet some new friends and hang with some old ones. We can't wait to see you on center stage! See you soon!
ONE OF OUR OWN
April 1, 2023
One of our very own former SkillsUSA GAPS State Officers has been extremely busy since the NLSC held in Atlanta in June. Former SkillsUSA GAP State President Emily Pinto has been traveling to attend training opportunities as our National SkillsUSA Postsecondary Vice President. Most recently Emily attended The Washington Leadership Training Institute where she and her fellow National Officers facilitated the event. Approximately 450 state officers from the secondary and postsecondary levels attended this event to enhance their leadership skills. Ms. Pinto was honored to represent all SkillsUSA members at Arlington National Cemetary by laying the wreath at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Emily underwent a rigorous process, including: earning the SkillsUSA Framework Certification, the CTE Knowledge Certification, the Career Essentials Credential (about a 30 hour course), passing a program written exam, participating in an interview by national education and industry leaders, and acquiring a majority of national delegate votes.
"It was quite a long process but it was so worth it to be involved in this organization, which is making such a big difference locally by also nationally in the long run for our future workforce," Pinto said.
Amy Holloway Scholarship
October 15, 2023
If you would like to support the scholarship so we can continue to support future students, please donate here (select Amy Holloway SkillsUSA scholarship): TCSG Foundation
After a brave fight with cancer, Amy Holloway passed away on September 9th 2015, but her smile will be remembered for years to come. Amy inspired and touched many people throughout her life, but perhaps most important was her dedication to our students. She had a passion for their success, which was frequently showcased in the SkillsUSA Competition she helped to coordinate. Amy joined TCSG in 1996 where she worked with the New Connections Program, Institutional Effectiveness, and Student Affairs as the Student Life Coordinator and State Director for SkillsUSA.
The purpose of the Amy Holloway Scholarship is to benefit participants in the SkillsUSA program by providing financial support for tuition, fees, books, tools and supplies, or to cover expenses to attend the SkillsUSA state or national conference.
Deadline:
Spring Semester Award: December 1
Submit completed application with attached documentation to:
The Technical College System
of Georgia Foundation
Attention: Scholarships
1800 Century Place, Suite 275
Atlanta, GA 30345
Please see attached application for the scholarship, it is open to any SkillsUSA student member at a SkillsUSA Georgia Postsecondary school. The scholarship award will be $500, please encourage your students to apply. Please email me directly at tmazhani@tcsg.edu if you have general questions. Thank you!
mikeroweWORKS Foundation
October 15, 2023
The mikeroweWORKS Foundation is a foundation that rewards people with a passion to get trained for skilled jobs that actually exist. SkillsUSA and the mikeroweWORKS Foundation have teamed up to increase opportunities for SkillsUSA students to attend the National Leadership and Skills Conference. The application window for this scholarship is now closed but be sure to check back often for this scholarship opportunity.
mikeroweWORKS FoundationGEORGIA TECHNICAL COLLEGES SHOW OUT!
March 1, 2024
The NATIONAL SkillsUSA LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE was the place to be in June if you wanted to see first hand just how important technical education is in the state of Georgia. Once again, the state of Georgia came in the top 5 in the nation in medals awarded!!! Check out this link to read more about how well our technical college students from the state of Georgia represented themselves.
TCSG Press ReleaseSkillsUSA Theme
The SkillsUSA competition theme for the 2023 - 2024 year is
"SkillsUSA: NO LIMITS"
The topic to be addressed by contestants in the Chapter Display, Prepared Speech and Promotional Bulletin Board contests is how our theme
SkillsUSA: NO LIMITS relates to our national program of work in the area of Professional Development.
Learn More About
SkillsUSA in Georgia
SkillsUSA is a national, nonprofit student organization that has developed more than 10 million workers through active partnerships between employers and educators. Hundreds of American industries have turned to SkillsUSA as the source for employees who exemplify "Champions at Work" in both skills and attitudes. SkillsUSA's mission is to empower its members to become world-class workers, leaders and responsible American citizens. At the heart of this mission are SkillsUSA's core values: integrity, responsiblity, citizenship, service and respect.
Get SkillsUSA at
Your School
Any student enrolled in a school which has an active SkillsUSA chapter is eligible to become a member. You do not have to enrolled in a career/technology class to become a member. You simply have to affiliate yourself with the local chapter. If your school does not have an active chapter, contact a teacher or administrator about the possibility of forming one. Advisors, remember any student in your school is eligible for membership even if they are not enrolled in a career/technology program. They would be eligible to participate in any leadership contest, but would have to be in a career/technology program to be eligible for the skills competitions.
SkillsUSA
Competitors
The SkillsUSA Championships is the showcase for the best career and technical students in the nation. Contests begin locally and continue through the state and national levels.
This is a multi-million dollar event that occupies a space equivalent to 16 football fields. In 2013, there were nearly 6,000 contestants in 98 separate events. Nearly 1,500 judges and contest organizers from labor and management make the national event possible.
The philosophy of the Championships is to reward students for excellence, to involve industry in directly evaluating student performance and to keep training relevant to employers’ needs.