(HUTTO, Texas) – Precision Machining Technology students from Texas State Technical College’s Williamson County campus brought home medals in every event they competed in at the SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary Leadership and Skills Conference held April 2-5.
Eight students from the campus’s Precision Machining Technology program attended SkillsUSA Texas to compete in five events. The group brought home a total of six medals, four of which were gold and two were silver.
“The success of our students at SkillsUSA Texas is a testament to their hard work and the quality of the faculty,” Kelly Coke, provost at TSTC’s Williamson County campus, said. “Our faculty equips students to be the best workforce for Texas industries, and their skills came through in the competition.”
Apolinar Ruiz, program team lead in the Precision Machining Technology program at TSTC’s Williamson County campus, was the students’ advisor during the competition and was not surprised by their performance.
“I try to make a point of maintaining faculty with different experiences and expertise rooted in industry experience,” Ruiz said. “The results speak for themselves.”
Bonifacio Velasquez, a Precision Machining Technology instructor, said most students did not need extra help but there was one who he had to give a crash course in a program called Mastercam, the software that machinists use to program computer numerical control (CNC).
“The students just did their regular coursework to prepare,” Velasquez said. “Carley (Lopez) is the only one who came in for extra preparation because she hasn’t taken the Mastercam class yet, which she needed for her event. The Mastercam class isn’t offered until the third semester, and she’s only in her first.”
Carley Lopez won the silver medal in the CNC 3-Axis Milling Programmer competition. She said she has every intention of going back next year.
“I wanted first place, but I came in second to Ethan,” Lopez said. “I’m going back next year and getting it, though.”
Garrett Roeder is in his final semester of TSTC’s Precision Machining Technology program, and he won the gold medal in the CNC 5-Axis Milling Programmer competition. He said he is looking to go further than just nationals.
“I want gold at nationals,” he said. “And if I get gold at nationals, I want to go to WorldSkills after.”
Students earning gold medals at the state level are qualified to participate in the 2025 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference to be held June 23-27 in Atlanta, Georgia.
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 has more than 100 contests at the state and national events in which students can compete, including 3D Visualization and Animation, Electrical Construction Wiring, and Welding.
For more information on SkillsUSA Texas, go to skillsusatx.org.
To learn more about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.
