For media information, contact:
Dana Urrutia, 678-495-3638
durrutia@gwinnetttech.edu

June 12, 2008

Gwinnett Tech Students Will Compete at National Skills USA Competition

Five state gold medal winners advance to nationals

Five Gwinnett Tech students, judged to be tops in their fields, are busy packing their bags and preparing to travel to Kansas City this month to represent the college at the 2008 SkillsUSA Post-Secondary national competition.

The five won gold medals at the state competition this spring, earning the chance to go on to nationals.

"Once again these students represented Gwinnett Technical College in a most exceptional manner," says Kenny Adkins, Gwinnett Tech's SkillsUSA advisor.

SkillsUSA is a partnership between students, teachers and industry representatives working to ensure that students excel in America's workforce. The national competition, which takes place June 24-27, will showcase of some of the best technical students in the nation.

Gwinnett Tech SkillsUSA state gold medal winners competing at nationals include:

• Kevin Ervin – cabinetmaking
• Daniel Price – carpentry
• Jesse Jones – CNC turning
• Anya Rice – photography
• Mary Stoklas – pre-school teaching assistant

At the national competition, approximately 5,000 outstanding career and technical education students will participate in hands-on competitions in eighty-four different technical, trade and leadership fields. SkillsUSA, a worldwide student organization, sponsors the national championships annually to recognize and encourage the achievements of technical education students.

Gwinnett Tech had 13 students who competed at the state level. In addition to the gold medal winners, three other students took state honors, including Do Nguyen, who received a silver metal in photography; Wilda Courney, who received a bronze metal in photography; and Riley Cook, who received a bronze metal in precision machining.

For more information about Gwinnett Tech's participation in the SkillsUSA competition or to learn about the more than 45 program options available, call 770-962-7580 or visit www.gwinnetttech.edu.

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About Gwinnett Tech
Gwinnett Technical College, one of Georgia's largest technical colleges, is committed to delivering relevant knowledge to meet the workforce training needs of its community. The college offers more than 50 associate degree, diploma and certificate programs and hundreds of seminars, workshops and courses providing specialized training. GTC is Gwinnett County's largest provider of corporate training and now serves residents and businesses in north Fulton County. Gwinnett Technical College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the associate degree. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097,404-679-4500, www.sacscoc.org for questions about the accreditation of Gwinnett Technical College. For more information, visit www.GwinnettTech.edu.

A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia.