Nine Penn College students medal at SkillsUSA nationals

Nine students from Pennsylvania College of Technology’s SkillsUSA team earned medals in six categories – three silvers and three bronzes – during the National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, from June 24-29.

“The students represented themselves and the college well, and it showed with the number of medals we returned home with,” said SkillsUSA adviser James N. Colton II, an assistant professor of welding. “I look forward to next year and the students that we will have competing.”

The Penn College students who won silver medals for their second-place finishes were:

Aviation Maintenance Technology – Connor V. Peechatka, Saylorsburg, majoring in aviation maintenance technology.

Electrical Construction Wiring – Joseph L. Brubaker, Port Trevorton, building automation technology. It is his second national medal while at Penn College; in 2017, Brubaker earned a bronze as a member of the four-man TeamWorks contingent.

Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration – Owen R. Dougherty, Allison Park, building automation technology: heating, ventilation and air conditioning technology concentration. Dougherty also won a silver in that category at last year’s national conference.

Placing third were:

CNC Technician – Ryan C. Kuntz, Slatington, manufacturing engineering technology.

Entrepreneurship – Blake A. Bomboy, Watsontown, business administration: management concentration; Harris M. Brewer, Jersey Shore, business administration: banking and finance concentration; John J. Shadle, Williamsport, business administration: marketing concentration; and Shawn S. Twigg, Williamsport, business administration: banking and finance concentration.

Welding sculpture – Erin M. Beaver, Winfield, welding and fabrication engineering technology. Beaver won a 2017 gold medal in the same category.

Students traveling to Louisville with Colton and Jacob B. Holland, a fellow welding instructor, advanced to national competition by virtue of first-place medals at the state level during the spring semester.

Including the latest results, a total of 195 Penn College students have qualified for nationals over the years; 59 returned home as medalists.

For more about the college, a national leader in applied technology education and workforce development, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.