Students Win Medals at National Competition
Three Selland College of Applied Technology students won medals at the 2008 SkillsUSA National Skills and Leadership Competition held last week in Kansas City, Mo.
Ryan Watson earned a gold medal in Precision Machining; Eric Dahlen took a bronze medal in CNC Turning; and Matt Wald brought home a bronze medal in Internetworking. This is the second consecutive year that a Selland College Machine Tool Technology student has taken first place in the Precision Machining competition.
Boise State students Marcus Orton and Dan Baumann also won at the state level earlier this year and participated in the national competition.
SkillsUSA is a national organization that prepares America’s workers for careers. It provides quality educational experiences in leadership, teamwork, citizenship and character development to more than 265,000 students nationwide each year.
The SkillsUSA Championships is the showcase for the best career and technical students in the nation. Contests begin locally and continue through the state and national levels. The annual weeklong event is sponsored entirely by industry and is attended by corporate representatives, universities and military service recruiters, as well as competitors from every state.
The Larry Selland College at Boise State provides students with professional and technical education programs that lead directly to employment. Most programs can be completed in four to 24 months. For more information about programs that are now enrolling, contact the Student Services office at 426-1431.
Bronco Tailgate Wagon to Benefit Make-A-Wish
Some Selland College instructors and Boise State employees teamed up to design and paint a “tailgating” wagon in Bronco blue and orange that will be auctioned off at the Northwest Motorfest event on July 6. Their efforts last year raised $3,500 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Brian Paul, auto body program instructor in the Selland College, built the goal post and painted the wagon inside and out to match the blue turf on the football field. Logos and numbers were painted with the help of Steve Marlatt in the Sign Shop, who created the stencils. Bill Starkey, instructor in the machine tool technology program, fabricated the wheel adapters, pull handle adapter, receiver hitch and side board uprights. Bob Bouy, an employee of Facilities Operations and Maintenance in the heat plant, did all the woodwork — cutting, fabricating, staining and finishing. The Boise State employees devoted hundreds of hours to the wagon.
Last year’s project, a 1932 Ford Pedal Car, took first place and raised the most during the auction.
“After winning last year we wanted to try to defend our title,” Paul said. “The main motivation for this project is the money that it will raise for Make-A-Wish.”