Alpharetta Resident Enters National Competition for Technical College Students

LAWRENCEVILLE – An Alpharetta resident was among seven Gwinnett Technical College students won the right to compete at the NationalSkills USA Competition this summer, with photography student Starr Petronella earning a silver medal at the recent national event in Kansas City.

Clay Allen of Cumming and Vadim Nakonechnyy of Alpharetta, gold medal winners at the state level, joined Petronella in Kansas City.

Petronella is a second year commercial photography student from Atlanta. The judges also chose her image as “Best Picture” in the Print Competition. 

The SkillsUSA Championship is the showcase for the best career and technical students in the nation. Contests begin locally and continue through the state and national levels. SkillsUSA is a nonprofit organization that serves teachers and high school and college students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations.

Each Gwinnett Tech student participating at nationals earned a gold medal at the state competition in April. These students included:

Starr Petronella, Atlanta, for Commercial Photography

Sean Griffin, Lilburn, for Carpentry

Christopher Krekemeyer, Dacula, for Welding

Jennifer La Porte, Bethlehem, for Commercial Baking

Clay Allen, Cumming;  Vadim Nakonechnyy, Alpharetta; and Colin Stephens, Snellville, for Welding Fabrication

Garey Bish, program director for Welding and Joining at Gwinnett Tech, served as the SkillsUSA liaison.

“The National SkillsUSA Competition was very impressive.  Not only was it a wonderful experience for the students from a competition prospective, but it was also a great networking environment.”

SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to develop a strong workforce for America.