UVU Ties for First in the Nation at SkillsUSA National Competition

UVU Ties for First in the Nation at SkillsUSA National Competition

Utah Valley University students continued their success at the national SkillsUSA competition in Atlanta, Georgia last week. UVU earned five national championship gold medals, three silver, and one bronze. The eight medals tie UVU for first place in the country in postsecondary colleges and universities. More than 6,500 students from all 50 states plus Puerto Rico competed in over 100 categories from cybersecurity to commercial baking and audio/radio production.

“Our continued success at SkillsUSA speaks volumes about the quality of students, faculty, curriculum, and state-of-the-art programs we have at UVU,” said Darin Taylor, UVU SkillsUSA Director and professor of engineering design technology. “Winning a national medal at SkillsUSA brings validation that we are teaching up-to-date methods and techniques. Our students know they are some of the best in the nation and are going to be productive on their very first day on the job. They will also become the leaders and experts in their respective fields of study.”

Much like the Olympics, SkillsUSA is based on an overall ranking determined by the total medal count earned during the national competition. Over the last 21 years, UVU has consistently been ranked among the top five in the nation.

UVU SkillsUSA National Champions:

  • Lindsey Barker, Architectural Drafting (Gold)
  • Brigg Edwards, Cabinetry & Architectural Woodwork (Gold)
  • Alex Marcum & Joseph Walker, Mechatronics Team (Gold)
  • Laura Richardson, Technical Drafting (Gold)
  • Ashton Young, Computer Programming (Silver)
  • Paul Christensen, Firefighting (Silver)
  • Dan Edlund & Toria Edwards van Muijen, Robotics & Automation Technology Team (Silver)
  • Benjamin Collier & Dallin Hansen, Additive Manufacturing Team (Bronze)