(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Fueled by skill, determination and pride, a student representing Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus proved her talent and earned a silver medal at the 2025 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference held last month in Atlanta, Georgia.
Jillian Contreras, an LVN to RN Transition Nursing student at TSTC, medaled in the Practical Nursing competition.
Eladio Jaimez, speaking for the provost’s office at TSTC’s Harlingen campus, said the college takes pride in Contreras’ achievement on the national SkillsUSA stage.
“Her accolade highlights the strength of TSTC and our nursing program,” he said.
Contreras said it was an honor to be TSTC’s first-ever competitor in the Practical Nursing category.
“I hope this award paves the way for future nursing students who compete in SkillsUSA,” she said.
Contreras said her experience working as a licensed vocational nurse played a key role in preparing her for the competition.
“I have worked as an LVN for 15 years in a variety of settings from dialysis to an operating room, and that experience helped me prepare,” she said.
The Harlingen native said the most challenging part of competing at SkillsUSA was feeling overwhelmed.
“I was one of 15 TSTC students in a sea of more than 18,000 people,” she said. “Our group eventually met students from other states who are reaching for the same goal.”
Contreras credited her success to the guidance and support of her TSTC SkillsUSA advisor, Adrienne Reyes.
“Adrienne and I share a strong bond,” she said. “She’s my former instructor when I was a student in TSTC’s Vocational Nursing program 15 years ago.”
Reyes, who is team lead for TSTC’s LVN to RN Transition Nursing program, said Contreras’ victory speaks to her skill level.
“Jillian’s experience in multiple areas of nursing gave her a strong foundation for success,” she said.
Billy Weaver is TSTC’s SkillsUSA campus coordinator in Harlingen.
“Jillian did a fantastic job of applying the SkillsUSA framework of personal, workplace and technical skills to her advantage,” he said.
For more information on SkillsUSA, go to skillsusa.org.
Registration for TSTC’s fall semester is underway. For more information, go to tstc.edu.