SkillsUSA qualifies for State

The term “deciduous” might be unfamiliar to most high school students, but for certain SkillsUSA students, words like these are very familiar. In fact, certain competitors spend countless hours studying hundreds of vocabulary terms and medical procedures.
When the team first chartered in 2017, sports medicine teacher Mr. Anthony Garcia had one goal in mind.
“I want to guide students in a career field that they actually want to get into,” Mr. Garcia said. “SkillsUSA really helps to open up doors. It’s really good to put onto resumes, especially if students place high in competitions.”
When Mr. Garcia first started SkillsUSA, there were only 21 students on the team. Now, there are over 70.
“I was taking Sports Medicine and Mr. Garcia introduced SkillsUSA to us,” Senior Phoebe Seto said. “He told us about Skills competitions and how much fun they are. The funny and inspirational stories Mr. Garcia told us about past Skills members inspired me to join the team.”
Last year, six members won gold at States and flew to Kentucky for Nationals, where they placed fifth in medical terminology.
Their first competition this year took place at Pierce College in January. Last month, they went to Ernest S. McBride High School, with 40 out of 55 students advancing to state finals.
SkillsUSA prepares students for entering specific career pathways and college applications.
“I’ve learned that working with other people is really fun and rewarding,” Seto said. “The team helps to support and build each other up.”
One of the competition categories offered at SkillsUSA events is called the Quiz Bowl, which is a writing test consisting of questions selected from a wide variety of academic fields.
“I was kind of shocked about the Quiz Bowl competition,” Sophomore Brian Setiono said. “I really thought we didn’t do well, but somehow my team managed to make it.”
They will be competing at their third competition at State Finals in Ontario from April 25-28. The members hope that they will be able to increase their success rate and continue to grow for years to come.
“We’re getting dominant in SkillsUSA,” Mr. Garcia said. “It’s only our second year, and the students are very motivated. They want an award and they try hard to get it.”