mikeroweWORKS Foundation SkillsUSA Competitor Scholarship

SkillsUSA
CHAMPIONS
at WORK
mikeroweWORKS Foundation
SkillsUSA Competitor Scholarship 2013
The 2013 mikeroweWORKS Foundation SkillsUSA Competitor Scholarship
SkillsUSA is an organization that offers our nation
a steady supply of skilled and motivated employees
trained in many diverse skills with a common desire
to learn, grow and change the world. SkillsUSA helps
young people across this nation become more aware
of the power and potential they hold in their skilled
hands—the potential to shape their futures in ways
they never thought possible and the power to shape
the course of a nation.
The mikeroweWORKS Foundation understands how
invaluable these skilled students are to our economy
and country. It shares SkillsUSA’s mission to advance
“We thought it would be good to
simply pay for travel—just to simply
get some kids here who qualified, but
could otherwise not make it.
The reason I wanted to do that was
because simple little things wind up
getting in the way of a great experience.”
-Mike Rowe
career and technical education and help reshape the
public awareness of the skilled trades.
That is why the mikeroweWORKS Foundation provides support for SkillsUSA students whose chapters,
schools or communities have insufficient resources to
send their SkillsUSA state
contest winners to the
National Leadership and
Skills Conference. These
highly skilled state winners earned the right to
compete nationally, but
because of circumstances
beyond their control,
they cannot finance their
way to the national-level
competition where they
show a nation what they
are capable of doing.
Luncheon attendees were treated to a special appearance
by Mike Rowe. He spoke about the need for career and
technical education, the skills gap and the importance of
learning a skill.
Thanks to the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, 50
SkillsUSA members from across the country received
a $1,000 scholarship to help offset the cost of attending the SkillsUSA national conference in Kansas
City, Mo. The conference, held June 24-28, 2013, is
the nation’s showcase for our most promising future
workers and citizens. It is here that students see the
importance and value of their skills and education,
and where those skills can take them.
While in Kansas City, the scholarship recipients
were treated to a special recognition luncheon at the
Kansas City Marriott Downtown. Tina Oswald-White,
vice president and director of operations for mikeroweWORKS, hosted the luncheon and handed out
scholarship award packages to this year’s recipients.
To be eligible for the mikeroweWORKS Foundation
scholarship, students had
to earn a first-place finish
at their SkillsUSA state
championships competition, be a first-time
attendee at the SkillsUSA
National Leadership and
Skills Conference, be a
SkillsUSA member in
good standing and write
an essay describing their
need for the scholarship
and lack of school or
community resources.
The 2013 mikeroweWORKS Foundation SkillsUSA Competitor Scholarship
Going to the SkillsUSA national conference will, I
hope, open the eyes of the people where I am from
and let them know that sports is not the only place
where you can get good pay.
RaShad Carter, Gadsden, Ala.
me attain my dream
of becoming an instructor.
Justin Furman, Ann
Arbor, Mich.
When it comes to financial situations, my mother
struggles each and every day to figure out how to feed
us the next month or even the next week. I hope to
one day make enough money to help my mother. I am
grateful every single day when I learn something new
or when I learn I have more to live for.
Gino Alvarez, Henderson, Nev.
I have never let my
financial situation
define who I am.
I believe that character is what defines a
person, not money. It
would be an honor
to receive the scholarship.
Albina Gjyrevci,
Hackensack, N.J.
Applying for this scholarship was difficult for me due
to the fact that I believe one should work for everything you get. My advisor encouraged me to apply
for the scholarship rather than give up a dream. I no
longer feel as if this is a handout, but instead, a way
for me to better myself and possibly have the chance
to give someone else like me an opportunity to succeed some day.
Storm Bruner, Manchester, Tenn.
I have been working at McDonald’s in Leonardo, N.J.,
for almost two years. I use my paychecks to pay bills
at home and for my mother’s medical expenses. I take
on a big responsibility to help my family while trying to keep up with school. The chance to attend the
national
SkillsUSA competition would
mean a lot.
Dwane Butler,
Freehold, N.J.
I am currently
living on my own
while trying to
juggle school and
work, filling any
spare time with
homework. If I
were awarded the
Mike Rowe Scholarship, it would
enable me to attend the SkillsUSA
national championships and help
My dad is a single parent and works hard to provide
what he can. I work almost 30 hours a week to save
money for college tuition. This scholarship will give
me the opportunity to learn and grow, and it will also
give me the ability to show others that through hard
work and determination, anything is possible.
Alyson Moore, Woodland Park, Colo.
The daily challenges I face do not ruin my ambition.
Walking to and from school are a gamble on one’s
life. Most days I get to school early to have breakfast
so I can save food at home. My first-place victory for
Computer Numerical Control Turning was a dream
come true. I’m looking for my next achievement.
Rene Plymouth Jr., Chicago, Ill.
If you could assist me, you would be helping fulfill a
dream!
Alexis Wells, Anchorage, Alaska
The 2013 mikeroweWORKS Foundation SkillsUSA Competitor Scholarship Recipients
*Denotes SkillsUSA Championships medal winners
• Veronica Allen (Employment Application Process)
Heartland Career Center, Wabash, Ind.
• Gino Alvarez (Television/Video Production) Foothill High
School, Henderson, Nev.
• Jenna Barry-Utzig (Career Pathways Showcase—Health) Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center,
Leonardtown, Md.
• Charley Beach (Advertising Design) Calhoun Area Career Center, Battle Creek, Mich.
• Ashley Bishop (Community Service) Plant City High
School, Plant City, Fla.
• Madison Bogar (Crime Scene Investigation) Sabin
Schellenberg Center, Milwaukie, Ore.
• Shelby Boyer (Community Action Project) Dr. James A.
Forrest Career and Technology Center, Leonardtown, Md.
• Storm Bruner (Career Pathways Showcase—Manufacturing) Coffee County Central High School, Manchester,
Tenn.
• Kylie Burkey* (Cosmetology) Sullivan Central High
School, Blountville, Tenn.
• Dwane Butler (Employment Application Process) Career
Center Monmouth County, Freehold, N.J.
• Darrio Carter (Prepared Speech) Cranston Area Career
and Technical Center, Cranston, R.I.
• RaShad Carter (HVACR) Gadsden City High School,
Gadsden, Ala.
• Joey Ciastko (Action Skills) Hobbs Freshman High
School, Hobbs, N.M.
• Dayna Cowan (Welding Sculpture) Indian Capital
Technology Center, Tahlequah, Okla.
• Amber DeJoode (American Spirit) Mounds View High
School, Arden Hills, Minn.
• Erich Deutsch (Web Design) Thomas Jefferson High
School, Denver, Colo.
• Tristan Duncan (Automotive Service Technology) Blue Ridge Community College, Flat Rock, N.C.
• Casey Fernandez (Chapter Display) L.A. Wilson Tech—
Western Suffolk BOCES, Dix Hills, N.Y.
• Justin Furman (Automotive Refinishing Technology) Washtenaw Community College, Ann Arbor, Mich.
• Keanu Giraud (Automotive Service Technology)
Waiakea High School, Hilo, Hawaii
• Albina Gjyrevci (Television/Video Production) Bergen County Academies, Hackensack, N.J.
• Brittany Goetz-Smith (Employment Application Process)
Stillwater Area High School, Stillwater, Minn.
• Davy Hall (Mechatronics) Southern Indiana Career and
Technical Center, Evansville, Ind.
• Kristen Hausmann (American Spirit) Charles Page High
School, Tulsa, Okla.
• Patricia Hernandez (Television {Video} Production)
Bergen County Academies, Hackensack, N.J.
• Abigail Hoffman (Basic Health Care Skills) Lewis and
Clark Career Center, St. Charles, Mo.
• James Huneke (Welding Sculpture) Blue River Career
Programs, Shelbyville, Ind.
• Dylan Jones*(TeamWorks) Adairsville High School, Adairsville, Ga.
• Jacob Keown (Screen Printing Technology) Greenland
High School, Greenland, Ark.
• Bhola Koirala (Robotics Automation Technology) Patterson High School, Baltimore, Md.
• Rebecca Lagein (Health Knowledge Bowl) Lake Area
Career and Technology Center, Devils Lake, N.D.
• Vanessa Lavoie (Welding Sculpture) Van Buren District
Secondary School, Van Buren, Maine
• Zack Miller (Welding) Pike Lincoln Technical Center,
Eolia, Mo.
• Alyson Moore (Promotional Bulletin Board) Woodland
Park High School, Woodland Park, Colo.
• Joyce Nelson* (Career Pathways Showcase—Management) Tennessee College of Applied Technology, Ripley, Tenn.
• Lace Paul (Crime Scene Investigation) Sabin
Schellenberg Center, Milwaukie, Ore.
• Aleesha Peake (Web Design) Eaton Intermediate School
District, Lansing, Mich.
• Alexa Perrucci* (Community Service) Bergen County
Academies, Hackensack, N.J.
• Rene Plymouth Jr. (CNC Turning) Austin Polytechnical
Academy, Chicago, Ill.
• Hanna Postell (Quiz Bowl) Presque Isle Regional Career
and Technical Center, Presque Isle, Maine
• Jennifer Rich (Culinary Arts) Cherokee High School,
Rogersville, Tenn.
• Jayson Rodden (Career Pathways Showcase—Manufacturing) Sabin Schellenberg Technical Center, Milwaukie, Ore.
• Priscila Rodriguez (Job Interview) Yakima Valley
Technical Skills Center, Yakima, Wash.
• Olympia Serrano*(Promotional Bulletin Board)
Westminster High School, Westminster, Md.
• Abigail Skorupski (Broadcast News Production) Communications High School, Wall, N.J.
• Edith Tuinei (Customer Service) West Career and
Technical Academy, Las Vegas, Nev.
• Andrew Vanner (Extemporaneous Speaking) East
Providence Area Career and Technical Center, East Providence, R.I.
• Jana Watkins (Community Service) Plant City High
School, Plant City, Fla.
• Alexis Wells (Culinary Arts) King Career Center,
Anchorage, Alaska
• Abhishek Yonghang(Robotics Automation Technology) Patterson High School, Baltimore, Md.