“I’m not sure she understands what that act of kindness meant to me, but after reading this, I hope she does. It was not about the material aspect of the jacket; it was the fact that she wanted me to be able to go into competition with a clear mind knowing that I look and feel good — that she believed in me, in our team so much that she listened to the voice inside her head to tell her to “just do it.” So she did, and for that I am grateful.”

“I always heard about The pearl ceremony at my school; being on the opening and closing ceremonies team is one of the more visible activities at my school. They often work with the Peer Leaders (as many of the members are connected to both organizations) to greet graduates and guests at the Hall of Fame Ceremony, to present at both the District 10 Championships and corresponding assembly, and to greet at the SkillsUSA Signing Day event. For each of these events, I see the veteran members wearing their pearl necklaces with pride.”

In all, one of the highlights of the week for me, in addition to the competition, was the Techspo — and I hope to return next year to experience even more! Industry leaders were close enough to see our work, but we were close enough to experience industry opportunities!