(BRECKENRIDGE, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Vocational Nursing program is preparing for a familiar stage: the SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary Leadership and Skills Conference.
This year, 13 students from the Breckenridge and Sweetwater campuses will travel to Corpus Christi for the state event, scheduled for April 8-11.
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.
Stephanie Dunn, of Corpus Christi, will compete in the First Aid-CPR event. The competition evaluates a participant’s ability to perform procedures and take appropriate action based on scenarios involving medical emergencies.
“I wanted to do SkillsUSA because it leaves me in my comfort zone while also taking me out of it,” said Dunn, a U.S. Army National Guard veteran. “Having these skills is something you don’t lose. I want to make sure I am still able to do it.”
Jocelyn Rivera, of Big Spring, and Ashlie Gonzalez, of Sweetwater, will compete in Medical Terminology. This contest evaluates knowledge of medical terms and abbreviations used by those preparing for employment in health care.
“I wanted to test my knowledge,” Rivera said. “I just finished the medical terminology portion of the program, so it was natural to be part of that competition.”
Gonzalez is using her school notes and flashcards to prepare.
“I had friends who did SkillsUSA in high school. I think it will be a great experience,” Gonzalez said.
Bessie Garcia, of Eastland, and Mary Solis, of Abilene, will be among the competitors in Nurse Assisting. Students are judged on their technical skills, speed, safety measures and patient interaction.
“I am working to make sure my skills are done the right way for the judges,” Garcia said.
Solis said she is looking forward to the trip to Corpus Christi and the opportunity to showcase her school spirit.
“I am proud to be part of a team representing TSTC,” she said.
These competitors are part of a larger contingent of nursing students traveling to the coast to represent the program’s excellence.
Students from the Breckenridge campus scheduled to compete include Dia Claterbaugh (Medical Math), Garcia (Nurse Assisting), December Owen (Medical Math), Shalyn Owen (Medical Math) and Solis (Nurse Assisting).
Students from the Sweetwater campus scheduled to compete are Mattison Dobbs (Nurse Assisting), Dunn (First Aid-CPR), Crystal Garcia (Medical Terminology), Gonzalez (Medical Terminology), Kirisa Hembree (Medical Terminology), Taylor Holdridge (Medical Math), Rivera (Medical Terminology) and Mattie Strickland (Nurse Assisting).
Registration for the summer and fall semesters at TSTC is underway. For more information about TSTC, visit TSTC.edu.