Penn College News

Eight Penn College Students Headed for SkillsUSA Nationals

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Eight first-place winners from Pennsylvania College of Technology have advanced to the 51st annual National SkillsUSA Conference, to be held from June 22-26 in Kentucky.

Five other students from the college finished in the top four places in a variety of categories during the SkillsUSA Pennsylvania Leadership and Skills Conference held April 8-10 in Hershey.

“The students did very well representing the college. It was the first time competing for some of the students, but they will be back next year for another go-around,” said James N. Colton II, assistant professor of welding and the college’s SkillsUSA adviser. “Many of the students advancing have been to nationals before, either as a college competitor or when they were in high school. We’re looking forward to the change of venue, as nationals will be in Louisville instead of Kansas City.”



Gold-medal finishers at the conference – and moving on to represent Penn College during the national celebration of “50 Years of Champions at Work” – are Matthew R. Harman Jr., of Sellersville, Randall J. Haynes, of Julian, and Ian M. Dorman, of Mill Hall, who competed in the Automated Manufacturing Technology category; Bryan M. Behm, of Fleetwood, Aviation Maintenance Technology; Kenneth J. "Jeremy" Williams, of Westminster, Maryland, Diesel Equipment Technology; Jerome T. Czachor, of Dickson City, Information Technology Services; Kyle T. Potts, of Colver, Technical Drafting; and Bradley L. Hayden, of Milton, Vermont, Welding.

Not going to the next level, but logging impressive finishes in Hershey, were Benjamin S. Welch, of State College, second place in Internetworking; Lee D. Bouton, of Stillman Valley, Illinois, third in Masonry; Patrick J. Kelly, Fayette City, third in Carpentry; Christopher J. Donnelly, of Chalfont, fourth in Automotive Service Technology; and Daniel W. Platt, of Harmony, fourth in Telecommunications Cabling.

This year’s success raises to 122 the number of Penn College students who have advanced over the years; 35 have won medals in national competition (which, until this year, has been held in Missouri).

Colton was accompanied to Hershey by Michael K. Patterson, one of his colleagues on the college’s welding faculty, who headed up the Welding Art/Sculpture category. Both men were judges in that competition.

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