SkillsUSA is a student-led organization dedicated to supporting students preparing for technical, skilled, and service-oriented careers. The organization enhances the quality of the future workforce by developing students’ personal, workplace, and technical skills through its Framework, which is grounded in academics. Members participate in a variety of career-focused competitions designed to equip and prepare them for success in the workforce.
The State SkillsUSA Competition was held last week in Corpus Christi, where more than 50 Frenship High School students competed in contests across Automotive Technology, Audio/Video Media Production, Law Enforcement, and Photography. Frenship’s SkillsUSA students proudly represented the district, with several bringing home medals and two earning a spot at the National Competition in Atlanta, Georgia, this summer.
Michael Maddox, a senior at Frenship High School, will represent Frenship for the second year in a row in the Photography Skills & Technical National Competition. After earning a third-place medal last year, he’s aiming for another podium finish this summer.
Amy Thomas, the photography teacher and SkillsUSA advisor, stated that all of the Frenship photography students had an exceptional performance at the SkillsUSA Texas State Contest. With a state champion, two Best of Categories Awards, and 29 Superior Ratings, the Frenship Photography team is overflowing with talent.
“Their success is a direct result of their dedication and countless hours of hard work,” said Thomas. “From capturing and editing photographs or attending after-school practices to preparing for interviews and oral presentations, their commitment to excellence is truly commendable."
Frenship’s second National Qualifier, Chris Vinson, a junior at Frenship High School, will travel to Atlanta to compete in Automotive Maintenance and Light Repair. Dana Vinson, the FHS AutoTech teacher and SkillsUSA advisor, emphasized the team’s hard work and expertise, noting that they made the podium in all but one of the events they competed in this year. And for the first time in Frenship Automotive Technology's history, the team made it to the final round in Quiz Bowl and secured second place.
“This has been an amazing experience,” said Vinson. “This team has been a juggernaut since last year when they first formed, and I still have another year with a couple of them. I cannot express how proud I am of every one of them and all that they had to fight for to get to this level.”
The Law Enforcement team also achieved exceptional success in their categories. The Forensic Science team was crowned State Champions, marking the first time a team from the Frenship Law Enforcement Club has earned this honor. However, since Forensic Science is a Texas-only contest, they will not compete at Nationals. Additionally, Frenship Law Enforcement earned a Best in Show Award, three Superior Ratings, and a bronze medal in various contests.
The excellence continued with the Frenship Audio/Video Media Production teams. The Commercial sUAS Drone team earned a second-place finish on the podium and took fourth place in Quiz Bowl.
Below are the individual results from the State SkillsUSA Competition:
Audio/Video Media Production
- Commercial sUAS Drone 2nd Place- Osirus Zepeda and Owen Demaray
- Quiz Bowl 4th Place - Camden Reese, Osirus Zepeda, Ivan Rodriquez, Brayden Tomlinson, Graciela Salazar, and Peyten Lang
Photography
- Photography Skills & Technical Competition State Champion - Michael Maddox – National Qualifier
- Photography State Champion - Michael Maddox
- Best of Show Photography General- Camden Reese
- Best of Show Photography Portrait- Michael Maddox
- Superior Rating Job Exhibit - Cole Keeton
- Superior Rating Digital Manipulation - Jett Baker
- Gold Chapter of Distinction Award - Frenship Photography
- Superior Rating for General Photograph - Osirus Zepeda, Michael Maddox, Camden Reese, Abigail Tijerina, Axle West, Owen Demaray, Arien Garza, Addison Hutchison, Seth Crump, Jett Baker, Callum Drexler, Jaxon Gregory, Isabel Dipinto, Bradley Merritt, and Hien Quach
- Superior Rating for Portrait Photograph - Abigail Tijerina, Camden Reese, Owen Demaray, Jett Baker, Jaxon Gregory, Isabel Dipinto, Simon Flores, and Annela Camus
- Superior Rating for Commercial Photograph - Michael Maddox, Camden Reese, Kaleb Beardsley, Adan McGee, and Seth Crump
- District 3 Advisor of the Year – Amy Thomas
Automotive Technology
- Automotive Maintenance and Light Repair State Champion - Chris Vinson – National Qualifier
- Quiz Bowl 2nd Place - Aiden Thomas, Ethan Davis, Chris Vinson, and Parker Dickens
- Aviation Maintenance 2nd Place - Parker Dickens
Law Enforcement
- Forensic Science State Champions - Madison Sugg, Olivia Acuna, and Parker Bowen
- Best in Show for the Law and Public Service Cluster - Isable Bucio and Trysta Anderson
- Criminal Justice Crime Scene Model Superior Rating - Isabel Bucio and Trysta Anderson
- Criminal Justice Crime Scene Model Superior Rating - Shelbie Holton and Tera Garza
- Criminal Justice Job Exhibit Superior Rating - Mattie Rodriquez and Nikki Sandoval
- Technical Testing in Building Search Bronze Medal - Abigail McRorey