From left: UNM-Gallup SkillsUSA Chapter members Donovan Padilla, Collin Brieno, Sonny Gene, Layla Perry, and Arianna "Eavan" Edwards pose with their SkillsUSA Championships medals inside Zollinger Library at The University of New Mexico-Gallup on June 16, 2026.
"A dream come true"
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UNM-Gallup students earn silver, bronze medals at SkillsUSA national championships
By Richard Reyes, Friday, August 14, 2026
GALLUP, N.M. — In an historic achievement, five students from The University of New Mexico-Gallup won medals for the first time during the SkillsUSA Championships this summer.
Arianna “Eavan” Edwards earned a silver medal in the nurse assisting category while Sonny Gene, Donovan Padilla, Layla Perry and Collin Brieno earned a bronze medal as a team in the entrepreneurship category during the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta from June 1-5.
“This was my first time at nationals and to have walked away with a medal from that — and I do believe that I am the highest medalist in our chapter — was just very stark,” Edwards said.
She compared the moment to her first state competition as a high school junior.
“I didn’t walk away with anything after my first ever competition at the state level,” she said. “I just remember the tears in my eyes because it was like a wound. Now, if I could tell my junior year self, ‘Hey, you will lock in, don’t worry, you got this,’ it would have been a very hopeful thing.”
In this courtesy photo, UNM-Gallup SkillsUSA Chapter member Arianna “Eavan” Edwards, second from left, accepts her silver medal on stage at the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta on June 5, 2026.
Edwards is a nursing student, heading into her sophomore year at UNM-Gallup.
Ending on a good note
Gene and Perry have been representing UNM-Gallup at SkillsUSA nationals for a few years in a row.
Perry came close to medaling in 2025 when she earned fifth place in the post-secondary job interview category. In the previous year, Gene and Perry both placed among the top 15 in their respective categories.
“I went year after year, so it feels like a dream come true,” Gene said of winning a bronze medal. “I finally made it on that stage, especially on my last year. It was a special moment for me.”
Gene and Perry gradually improved their performance at nationals with the help of UNM-Gallup advisors and the support of the local business community.
“I’m just really happy that I was able to actually place top three this year,” Perry said. “I think this was my last year with SkillsUSA, so I’m really happy that I was able to end off on a good note.”
In this courtesy photo, UNM-Gallup SkillsUSA Chapter members (from left) Collin Brieno, Layla Perry, Donovan Padilla and Sonny Gene accept their bronze medals on stage at the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta on June 5, 2026.
Perry is currently enrolled at UNM in Albuquerque, but she stayed involved with the SkillsUSA chapter in Gallup by continuing to take courses at the branch campus.
Gene worked as a work-study student in the UNM-Gallup Information Technology Department during the spring semester and graduated from UNM with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education.
Jumping into the deep end
Gene and Perry couldn’t do it alone though after their original partners opted to not compete at nationals.
Two SkillsUSA newcomers — Padilla, who is studying welding technology, and Brieno, who is studying automotive technology — stepped up to help the team.
“It was a very unforgettable experience,” Brieno said. “I made new friends on the trip, such as Sonny [Gene]. The man dragged me in out of nowhere because I was basically an automotive kid. … It was fun. It was my first time ever speaking to people in a big room.”
While teams usually have several months to prepare for nationals, the new team only had six weeks to get ready. In that short period of time, they practiced hard to make sure they were prepared for the competition.
This June 16, 2026, photo shows the silver and bronze medals won by the UNM-Gallup SkillsUSA Chapter inside Zollinger Library at The University of New Mexico-Gallup.
“What I gained is dedication,” Padilla said. “I dedicated my work into doing it, like reading the script and trying to memorize everything. … And doing entrepreneurship is like starting up your own business. So me being a welder, I can pick up a few tips when I want to open up my own shop.”
Joining the UNM-Gallup SkillsUSA Chapter
SkillsUSA is a nonprofit national education association aimed at empowering students to become world-class workers and leaders.
The SkillsUSA Championships is a showcase of the country’s top career and technical education students. Students compete in categories that are directly related to the job-related skills they learn in the classroom in addition to employability skills such as communication.
Through SkillsUSA, students gain public speaking experience, time management skills, confidence, self-discipline and perseverance. They also get the chance to broaden their horizons by traveling out of state if they make it to the national competition, where they can meet students from across the country and network with industry professionals.
UNM-Gallup formed its SkillsUSA Chapter in 2014 and has been competing in state and national competitions since 2015.
Students who are interested in participating in SkillsUSA can contact UNM-Gallup SkillsUSA Chapter advisor Frank Sanchez at sabumfss@unm.edu to learn how to join.
UNM-Gallup SkillsUSA Chapter members and advisors pose for a group photo inside Zollinger Library at The University of New Mexico-Gallup on June 16, 2026. From left: Frank Sanchez, Donovan Padilla, Layla Perry, Markos Chavez, Sonny Gene, Jayme McMahon, Arianna "Eavan" Edwards, Collin Brieno, and Ann Jarvis.
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