Mavericks Win Bronze at National Competition

Midlands Technical College’s Building Construction Technology team placed third in the SkillsUSA’s national leadership & skills conference, Teamworks category. Hosted at the World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA from June 24-28, the team was composed of four MTC students: Will Rodriguez, Angel Mendoza, Noah Newbern, and Kaleb Lawrie.

"I am beyond proud of Kaleb, Noah, Angel, and Will on this accomplishment,” said MTC Building Construction Program Director Robbie Sharpe. “Coming to the SkillsUSA national championship, the students get to take what they’ve learned in the classroom and apply it to a real-life scenario, under a time crunch on top of that. It’s truly remarkable experience for them and all  the other students who participated in the Teamworks category.”

The team was challenged to construct a mock-up residential house over two days fitted with electricity, plumbing, masonry, and roofing. The MTC Building Construction Team has placed in the top three programs in the SkillsUSA national competition for the past three years. 

MTC student Dylan Stokes also placed third nationally for architectural drafting. In his competition, Stokes was required to create a residential floor plan, exterior elevations, a roof plan, door and window schedules, and a full building section for a single-story cabin in Estes Park, Colorado. The project scope included a primary bedroom & bathroom, two guest bedrooms, a full and half bathroom, kitchen, family room, storage closet and a utility room.  

In addition, the MTC welding fabrication team and Information Technology Service student, Robert Smeby, placed first in South Carolina, earning them a spot in the national competition.

The MTC SkillsUSA teams and MTC Foundation extend gratitude to Mungo Homes and the Michael J. Mungo Foundation for sponsoring the building construction team, Michelin for sponsoring the welding technology team, and Jumper Carter Sease Architects for sponsoring architectural drafting.

“Support from the business community is essential to the programs and a wise investment in the outstanding training at MTC,” said MTC Foundation CEO Nancy McKinney.

SkillsUSA’s national leadership & skills conference is the largest gathering of America’s future skilled workforce and ultimate recognition of excellence in career and technical education. The event brings together more than 16,000 attendees, including students, instructors, industry partners, government officials, administrators, and more to compete for national gold, silver, and bronze medals in 115 skilled and leadership opportunities.