University of Arkansas - Fort Smith students, including those in the Western Arkansas Technical Center at UAFS, won a total of 15 medals – nine of them gold medals – in the 2018 Arkansas SkillsUSA Championships.
Awards were given in the secondary and post-secondary division, and included gold, silver and bronze medals for first, second and third places.
WATC Award Winners
Booneville: Maggie Hudgens, Waldron High School, gold in First Aid/CPR.
Fort Smith: Raymond Cabarcas, Northside High School, silver in Medical Terminology; Maria Gutierrez-Sanchez, Northside High School, silver in Preschool Teaching Assistant; and Joselina Roman, Northside High School, bronze in Preschool Teaching Assistant.
Van Buren: Kevin Head, Van Buren High School, gold in Preschool Teaching Assistant.
Waldron: Mason Day, Waldron High School, gold in Health Knowledge Bowl (team of 4); Lori Gallup, Waldron High School, gold in Health Knowledge Bowl (team of 4); Emily Haga, Waldron High School, silver in Health Occupations Professional Portfolio; Eric Parkhurst, Waldron High School, gold in Health Knowledge Bowl (team of 4); Angelina Sher, Waldron High School, gold in Health Knowledge Bowl (team of 4); Adrianna Slater, Waldron High School, silver in Basic Healthcare Skills; and Elizabeth Soisouvanh, Waldron High School, bronze in Medical Math.
UAFS Award Winners
Fort Smith: Charlee Bell, gold in Criminal Justice; Elizabeth Chrisman, gold in Medical Terminology; and Debbie Robertson, gold in Medical Math.
In addition to the medals, WATC gold medal winners receive a four-year $1,000 scholarship to attend UAFS.
SkillsUSA is a national organization for both high school and college students. The organization is designed to provide quality educational experiences for students enrolled in technical, skilled and service programs.
The Western Arkansas Technical Center at UAFS is an area secondary center serving a five-county area. WATC provides area high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to earn college credits in automotive technology, computer-aided drafting and design, criminal justice, early childhood education, electronics technology, engineering, graphic design, health sciences, information technology and welding technology.