(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Students at Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus earned medals in three events at the recent 2026 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
Students were eligible to participate in the national contest by receiving gold medals at the 2026 SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary Leadership and Skills Conference held in April in Corpus Christi.
SkillsUSA is a professional organization focused on employability, leadership and technical skills that help college students pursue successful careers and be part of a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA holds more than 100 contests at the state and national levels in which students can compete.
Joseph Amaro, of San Benito, and Liana Rios, of Rio Grande City, received the gold medal in the Emergency Medical Technician contest. The students are in their third semester in the Emergency Medical Services program.
The team prepared by working together during in-class scenarios and ride-alongs with ambulance services. Rios also built on her work as a fireman and advanced emergency medical technician at the Mission Fire Department.
“A lot of the paramedics there (at the fire department) are knowledgeable and share what they have learned,” Rios said.
Those hours of preparation and work went into a written examination, an equipment bag check, oral interviews, and scenarios such as working with a stroke patient and a child experiencing a seizure while working with parents.
Amaro and Rios’ teamwork marks the first time the Harlingen campus has ever garnered a national-level medal in the Emergency Medical Technician contest.
“It was a surreal experience being able to represent our school and state,” Amaro said.
Rios said the experience of being on stage receiving her gold medal was unforgettable.
“That light is shining on you,” she said.
Aaliyah Duran, of Harlingen, received the silver medal in the Early Childhood Education contest. The last time a TSTC in Harlingen student placed nationally in the contest was 2022 when Carina Garcia brought the gold medal back to the Rio Grande Valley.
Hailey Harris, of San Antonio and Harlingen, is in her third semester in the Wind Energy program. She received the bronze medal in the Principles of Engineering – Technology contest. This was the first time a Harlingen campus student has participated in the contest.
“Hailey showed tremendous determination and commitment to her presentation, continuously improving it before and after the state competition in preparation for nationals,” said Esmeralda Estrella, an instructor in TSTC’s Biomedical Equipment program and Harris’ competition advisor. “She approached every challenge with confidence and perseverance. We are incredibly proud of her hard work, which led to a state championship and national placement.”
Harris said beyond receiving a medal, that she enjoyed learning about the ideas of her fellow competitors.
“Preparing for the contest involved a lot of physics study related to wind turbines and designing a display for the competition,” Harris said.
Next year’s SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference is set for June 21-25, 2027, in Atlanta.
For more information on SkillsUSA, go to skillsusa.org.
For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.