Brianna Begay, Aidan Brown and Orlan Dale, who are all first-year UNM-Gallup students and officers of the UNM-Gallup SkillsUSA Chapter, pose for photos at the SkillsUSA New Mexico State Leadership & Skills Conference in Albuquerque April 15. The team won gold in the college Promotional Bulletin Board category.

7 UNM-G students win state SkillsUSA gold

Categories: Students   Faculty   Staff   Community  

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6 students earn silver, 1 earns bronze and 1 wins New Mexico Pin Design Contest

By Richard Reyes | Friday, May 12, 2023

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Seven students from The University of New Mexico-Gallup earned gold medals at the SkillsUSA New Mexico Championships in Albuquerque Saturday, April 15, earning the chance to compete at nationals in June.

In addition, one student won the state Pin Design Contest, meaning their artwork will represent New Mexico at the national competition.

“I’m very proud of our students, no matter the outcome,” UNM-Gallup SkillsUSA Chapter Advisor Ann Jarvis said. “It’s them taking a step out of that comfort zone. That’s a really big thing I advocate for.”

The following students earned gold in their respective categories:

• Brianna Begay, Aidan Brown and Orlan Dale, who are all first-year UNM-Gallup students and officers of the UNM-Gallup SkillsUSA Chapter, for Promotional Bulletin Board (college).
• Brittany Armijo, a UNM-Gallup nursing student, for Job Skill Demonstration Open (college).
• Gualterio Beyal Jr., a Center for Career and Technical Education fire science technology student, for Firefighting (high school).
• Judith Long, a CCTE Students Achieving New Directions student, for Job Interview (high school).
• Jacob Betone, a CCTE fire science technology student, for Action Skills (high school).

“The mountains are behind my house,” Kayliegh Begay said. “I’ve had a couple people like tourists, painters and photographers that would stop and say how blessed we are to have these amazing mountains, and I think that’s true. We take it for granted every day.”

As the winner of the contest, Kayliegh Begay has earned the chance to present her design in the Pin Design Challenge at the SkillsUSA 2023 National Leadership & Skills Conference, which is scheduled June 19-23 in Atlanta.

All of the gold medal winners from UNM-Gallup also earned a berth to compete at nationals.

Dale, who is studying cosmetology, competed in Extemporaneous Speaking at nationals last year, so he felt more confident in his professionalism skills going into this year’s competition.

“At first we were pretty nervous,” Dale said. “It was nerve-wracking and having a lot of anticipation, but as we got on board, we had the charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent. We really did a good performance, and I was really confident with them, and I was very proud of Aidan and Brianna.”

Brown, who is studying liberal arts, also acknowledged that she was nervous, but her teammates’ confidence gave her relief.

“Everybody is just as nervous as you are when the actual competition comes, so you don’t really have to be alone in that situation,” Brown said. “You can ask somebody to help you and then prepare, and they’ll actually do it for you because they’re really nice people.”

Other medalists from the UNM-Gallup team included:

• Layla Perry, a CCTE student for criminal justice, who earned silver in the high school Job Skill Demonstration A category.
• David Moreno, a UNM-G general studies student, who earned silver in the college Job Skill Demonstration Open category.
• Kellan Benally, a UNM-G automotive technology student, who earned silver in the college Job Skill Demonstration A category.
• Cheyenne Armijo, a McKinley Academy student; Makai Begay, a CCTE design and digital media student; and Joshua Chavira, a CCTE design and digital media student, who earned silver as a team in the high school Promotional Bulletin Board category.
• Dewight Leupp, a UNM-Gallup liberal arts student, who earned bronze in the college Job Interview category.

Other students who competed on behalf of the UNM-Gallup team included:

• Harry Tabaha, a CCTE multi-vocational service occupations student, in the high school Customer Service category.
• Kiefer Yazzie, a UNM-G cosmetology student, in the college Customer Service category.
• Jade Buffalohead-Ashcraft, a McKinley Academy student; Kyria Garcia, a McKinley Academy student; and Nigel Joe, a CCTE health careers student, as a team in the high school Prepared Speech category.
• Jose Arreguin, a CCTE welding technology student, Isaiah Nuckols, a CCTE welding technology student; and Kayliegh Begay in the high school Welding Fabrication category.
• Payton Charley, a UNM-G welding technology student, in the college Welding Sculpture category.
• Miles Craig, a UNM-G welding technology student, in the college Welding Sculpture category.
• Ryan Descheny, a UNM-G welding technology student, in the college Welding Sculpture category.

“It’s a big step for kids to get up in front of an audience,” she said. “A lot of kids in our area haven’t done that. They do doubt themselves because they’ve been told for so many years, ‘You can’t. You won’t.’ I tell them, ‘Stop talking that negative self-talk. You are experts up there demonstrating your specific skill.’”

SkillsUSA co-advisor Frank Sanchez, who works as a tech analyst for UNM-G, added that the national SkillsUSA conference is also like a huge trade show where several industry businesses set up booths. He said it’s possible for students, who bring along their resumes, to get job offers right on the spot.

“When we got to nationals last year, the level of competition was so much higher, but I never once looked at our students and thought they're totally out of their depth,” Sanchez said. “I never felt like we were not in the running. I really looked at our students and said, ‘They're just as good as these other ones.’”

Brianna Begay, Dale and Brown all credited SkillsUSA and their advisors for setting them up for success at the competition and helping them to get out of their comfort zones and overcome their nerves and shyness.

They also recommended that more students get involved in SkillsUSA.

“Don’t be shy,” Brianna Begay said. “Express yourself. Opportunities come once in a lifetime, so put yourself out there.”

“It will really open your eyes and your mind so you can succeed in the future” Dale added.