The 42nd annual Missouri SkillsUSA Skills and Leadership Conference was held at Linn State Technical College in Linn April 3-5. 

Curtis Westbay, SkillsUSA Missouri State President, spoke at the opening ceremonies welcoming all the participants, parents and advisors to the event. 

Carthage Technical Center had 43 students compete or participate in various competitions. 

Numerous students finished in the top ten in their particular contest, several students were medal winners and eight students placed first in a technical skill qualifying them to compete at SkillsUSA National Competition in Kansas City this June.  

Kasie Thrasher was elected as a state officer for the 2008-2009 school year.

The following students will be representing Carthage and the state of Missouri at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Kansas City, June 22-28:

• 1st Place Health Knowledge Bowl – Andrea Anderson, Derek Mendell, Kelsey Patton, Alyssa Tobar

• 1st Place Computer Programming – Weston Herrington

• 1st Place Tech Prep Showcase - Information Technology – Jacob Jones, Nikolai Kowacich, Mario Martinez

• State Officer – Kasie Thrasher

The following students also medaled at the state convention:

• 1st Place Robotics & Automation Technical Information – Nathan Batchelor

• 1st Place Industrial Motor Control Technical Information – Matthew Martin

• 2nd Place Robotics & Automation Technology – Nathan Batchelor and AJ Stinebrook

• 2nd Place Technical Computer Applications – Scott Brownfield
• 2nd Place Mechatronics –     Zack Bryant, Curtis Westbay

• 2nd Place Quiz Bowl – Sarah Cooper, Dalton Ikenberry, Matt Lane, Craig Mitchell, Michael Weaver

• 2nd Place Computer Programming – Jacob Jones

• 2nd Place Related Technical Math – Matthew Martin

• 2nd Place Web Design – Brandon Weaver, Michael Weaver

• 3rd Place Nurse Assisting Technical Information – Holly Bond

• 3rd Place Television Production Technical Information – Zack Bryant

• 3rd Place Related Technical Math – Weston Herrington

SkillsUSA is a national student organization that encourages community service, professional development and high academic and technical skill achievement.  The organization has a membership of more than 250,000 student and professional members with over 13,000 chapters throughout the nation.