(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Amid the hammering and sawing taking place under a large tent at the recent 2026 SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary Leadership and Skills Conference in Corpus Christi were Texas State Technical College graduates watching the future in action.
Three teams from TSTC’s Harlingen and Waco campuses competed in the college-level TeamWorks contest, while high school students throughout the state battled against each other in the secondary version of the contest. TeamWorks is a two-day project build utilizing carpentry, electrical, masonry and plumbing skills.
Contest judges are from the professional construction field throughout the state. And one of those judges, Andres Zapata, knew what those high school and collegiate competitors were going through.
Zapata was a member of Belton High School’s national gold medal TeamWorks team in 2017 and was part of TSTC in Waco’s national silver medal teams in 2018 and 2019. Zapata is now a project manager at Peinado Construction in Frisco and has been a state contest judge for four years.
“SkillsUSA has been a big part of my life,” Zapata said. “If it was not for SkillsUSA, I would not be where I am at. It’s a great organization to help shorten the skills gap we have in this nation.”
He said it was great seeing students who have the eagerness to grow and put their knowledge to the test.
“Every year, we have always noticed a drastic change with the design of the project that they are constructing in the contest,” Zapata said. “We have seen it as ‘Man, these students are not really getting it,’ but this year, it was kind of surprising. A lot of these kids packed it up and pushed through it and did not give up.”
Working alongside Zapata was Christian Olivares, a graduate of TSTC’s Building Construction program and now a construction manager at Flintrock Builders in Belton. Olivares did not have the opportunity to participate in SkillsUSA in high school or when he was at TSTC, but he finally got his chance to observe the TeamWorks contest.
Olivares saw his role as a way to mentor and teach the students what they can improve on.
“Do not be afraid to get out and try your best,” he said.
Some staff from Dallas-based Rogers-O’Brien Construction also helped look over the final projects.
Cody Scheffe, a Rogers-O’Brien assistant superintendent, is a graduate of TSTC’s Building Construction program and a past national silver medalist in SkillsUSA’s Carpentry contest. He credited Michael Carrillo, a former TSTC instructor and current Belton High School construction science teacher, as one of his mentors.
Scheffe said he finds it interesting how the student can handle pressure.
“Generally, the people that push on are the better ones to pick up,” he said.
Scheffe said students should not be afraid to get out to talk to people and introduce themselves to people they can learn from.
“SkillsUSA can get your foot in the door and you can use what you have learned,” he said. “A little bit of effort will go a long way in the industry.”
Teo Orduna, a Rogers-O’Brien project engineer, competed last year at the state SkillsUSA conference and placed fourth in the Carpentry contest. He said it felt great being back at the conference, but in a new role.
Orduna said the competition was a great way for students to learn about time management and quick thinking.
“It’s not a one-person job,” he said. “It’s a whole workforce.”
William Holmes III, a quality manager at Rogers-O’Brien, said he was impressed by the quantity of school districts represented at the contest. The TSTC Building Construction graduate said he hoped the students would learn how critical communication is in the construction field and be adaptable when needed.
“You have to be detail-oriented,” Holmes said. “You have to understand the work you put in place. There is a lot of on-the-job learning.”
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 specific contests at the state and national events in which students can compete, from 3D Visualization and Animation to Welding Sculpture.
For more information on SkillsUSA Texas, go to skillsusatx.org.
For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.