Several Riverland Community College SkillsUSA club members captured gold, silver and bronze medals at the SkillsUSA Minnesota 2011 State Leadership and Skills Conference in March at the Sheraton Hotel in Bloomington. The competitions focused on technical skill demonstration where students captured gold, silver and bronze medals in 75 competitive events in both divisions, with over 540 college students from 25 campuses of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities the competition focused on technical skill demonstration in 54 competitive events.

SkillsUSA Minnesota is a leadership organization for students in career and technical programs in high school and college. Students participate in leadership and skills competition at local, state and national levels where they build and reinforce technical skills, self-confidence, work attitudes and communications skills. The contests were held in the following nine career and technical education cluster areas: arts and communication; construction; health services; legal and protective services; hospitality; human services, manufacturing; science, engineering and technology; and transportation.

Four Riverland students captured gold medals, which mean they move to the national SkillsUSA contest in June.  Riverland students also captured silver and bronze medals and several received honorable mention awards.

Riverland Carpentry Technology instructor Tom Wilker was named 2011 Advisor of the Year for his work advising the Austin chapter. This award is presented to secondary and/or post secondary educators involved in Trade, Industrial, Technical, or Health Occupations courses, and who have achieved prominence at local, state, or national levels.

The Riverland awards were:

Category: Health Occupational Professional Portfolio

Gold Medal:  Tara Moen (Minneota), Riverland Community College, Austin Chapter

Category: Extemporaneous Speaking

Gold Medal:  Samuel Wipplinger (Kiester), Riverland Community College, Albert Lea Chapter

Category: Trade Math

Gold Medal:  Dean Pecinovsky (Grand Meadow), Riverland Community College, Albert Lea Chapter

Category: Medical Terminology

Gold Medal:  Robyn Elwood (Rochester), Riverland Community College, Austin Chapter

Silver Medal:  Haylee Ollendieck (Lime Springs), Riverland Community College, Austin Chapter

Category: T-Shirt Design

Silver Medal:  Haylee Ollendieck (Lime Springs), Riverland Community College, Austin Chapter

Category: Safety

Silver Medal: Andrew Peterson (Racine), Riverland Community College, Austin Chapter

Bronze Medal: Travis Cunningham (Austin), Riverland Community College, Austin Chapter

Category: Mechatronics

Bronze Medal: Dean Pecinovsky (Grand Meadow)  and Shane Roisen (Albert Lea), Riverland Community College, Albert Lea Chapter

Category: Automotive Refinishing Technology

Bronze Medal:  Mike Holten (Austin), Riverland Community College, Austin Chapter Honorable Mention:  Vadym Bezkrovnyi (Austin), Riverland Community College, Austin Chapter

Category: Construction Blueprint Reading

Bronze Medal:  Rachel Knopps (Blue Earth), Riverland Community College, Austin Chapter

Category: Chapter Display

Bronze Medal:  Riverland Community College, Austin Chapter

Category: Diesel Equipment Technology

Honorable Mention: Bryan Croce (Minnesota Lake), Riverland Community College, Albert Lea Chapter

SkillsUSA, a national organization sponsors the SkillsUSA Championships annually to recognize the achievements of career and technical education students and to encourage them to strive for excellence and pride in their chosen occupations. The competitions focused on technical skill demonstration in 70 competitive events, with over 600 college students from 24 campuses of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. Minnesota High School students captured gold, silver and bronze medals for 171 high school division students. The competition focused on technical skill demonstration in 70 competitive events, with over 300 students from 29 high school campuses.