(RED OAK, Texas) – Students from the HVAC, Precision Machining and Welding programs will be representing Texas State Technical College’s North Texas campus at the 2026 SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary Leadership and Skills conference, scheduled from April 8-11 in Corpus Christi.
Jacob Usery, the director of alignment for Computer Networking and Systems Administration, is also the SkillsUSA campus coordinator for the North Texas campus. He has recruited 14 students for the competition.
“SkillsUSA puts students in front of real work before they ever leave school — building the confidence, discipline and technical ability that employers actually hire for,” he said. “School teaches you what to know. SkillsUSA gives students insight on what to do with it.”
SkillsUSA is a professional organization focused on employability, leadership and technical skills. It features more than 100 specific contests at the state and national levels, ranging from 3D Visualization and Animation to Welding Sculpture.
Rodolfo Marmolejo, of Dallas, plans to compete in the Welding Fabrication event. He has set his sights on self-improvement and a gold medal.
“I really like to compete,” Marmolejo said. “It’s something I’ve done ever since I was little.”
Dustin Schenstrom, a Boise, Idaho native, dedicated extra hours in the Precision Machining lab to mastering his craft even before he decided to compete in the CNC Programmer category. He said he entered the competition to see where his skills land compared to other students across the country.
“I take pride in my work, so this gives me an opportunity to see how well I can do,” Schenstrom said.
HVAC student Ke’ondra White, of Palestine, is practicing to compete in Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration in Corpus Christi. White said her instructors have prepared her and her classmates for the competition by hosting extra practice sessions.
“This is my first time going to a competition such as SkillsUSA,” White said. “I’m really excited to go.”
For more information on SkillsUSA Texas, go to skillsusatx.org.
Registration for the summer and fall semesters at TSTC is underway. For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.