Since the 1970’s Utica Community schools has been a part of SkillsUSA, a workforce development organization for students which empowers students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders and responsible community members.
As part of the SkillsUSA competition, students can choose to compete individually or as a team. Henry Ford II/CSI senior Niken Patel and Eisenhower/CSI senior Logan Lawler, reflected on the experience after earning gold in Robotics and Automation.
“The conference’s main qualities it taught us were teamwork, working under pressure, and how to adapt to our surroundings,” seniors Patel and Lawler shared. “We had no clue what to expect, so being able to adapt to any type of scenario and environment was invaluable to our success.”
This year, 13 students from the Utica Center for Science and Industry (CSI) attended the Michigan State conference during the weekend of April 11th - 13th. At the conference, three students won gold and will be representing Michigan at the National Conference in Atlanta Georgia this June.
“SkillsUSA teaches students leadership and technical skills through its vast network of industry professionals,” CSI teacher Scott Spry said. “The objective of SkillsUSA’s State and National Leadership and Skills conferences (NLSC) is to prepare students with a career skill. From classroom work to after school prep, students work to fine tune their skills to compete at the State Conference and then, if they win, represent Michigan at NLSC.”
At the State Conference, CSI students competed in Robotics and Automation, Electronic Technology, Additive Manufacturing, and Digital Cinema. Henry Ford II/CSI senior Niken Patel and Eisenhower/CSI senior Logan Lawler earned gold in Robotics and Automation, while Eisenhower/CSI junior Garrick Case took gold in Electronic Technology. All three will go on to compete at the National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC) in June.
