Wallace State’s Technical Division hosts skills competition for high school students

CONTACT: Russell Moore, Communications and Marketing, Wallace State Community College, 256.352.8443, russell.moore@wallacestate.edu
HANCEVILLE – Wallace State Community College’s Technical Division recently invited high school students to campus, allowing them to compete in a WSCC Invitational Skills contest and prepare for upcoming local and state events.

Jacolby Giers of Brewer
Jacolby Giers of Brewer applies some finishing touches to his project at the auto collision repair department.

“We feel it’s important for them to come here and see what it’s like in a competitive-type setting. If it’s someone’s first time to compete, it can be nerve-wracking and panic sets in when you approach the finish line. The pressure is hard to explain until you experience it yourself, so we’re thrilled to give them an opportunity to practice,” said Wallace State’s Jimmy Hodges, Dean of Applied Technologies.
Skills competitions were held at electronics, drafting, precision machining, automotive service technology, collision repair, welding and HVACR.
Schools represented were Corner High School, Earnest Pruett Center of Technology, Cullman Area Career Center, Arab High, Brewer High, Madison County Tech Center, Gadsden City High, Eden Career Tech, Marshall County Tech School, Cherokee County Tech Center, Huntsville Center for Technology, Etowah County Career Tech, Haleyville Center for Technology, Blount County Career Tech Center, Limestone County Career Tech Center, Muscle Shoals Career and Tech School and Lawrence County Career Tech Center.
“Wallace State has a reputation for being excellent in all technical fields, and we love to have the opportunity to bring high school students here and expose them to our programs. Some of these students are from small, rural schools and may have never seen the facilities we have on campus. We hope that gives them a spark or a dream to think about coming to college here,” Hodges said. “Also, this event it nice because it benefits the Wallace State and high school instructors and gives them a chance to bond and build relationships.”
For more information about Wallace State, visit wallacestate.edu.
Josh Leroy of Fairview
Josh Leroy, right, of Fairview ponders an automotive service tech checklist with help from Wallace State student Dustin Wilbanks during the WSCC skills invitational.

Sam Drake of West Point
Sam Drake of West Point competes in the automotive service tech competition during the skills invitational.

Josh Southern of Muscle Shoals Career and Tech
Josh Southern of the Muscle Shoals Career and Tech competes in the auto collision repair portion of the skills invitational.

Cody Baucom of Lawrence County Career Tech
Cody Baucom of Lawrence County Career Tech works on a project at the Wallace State precision machining building.

______________________________
Kristen Holmes
Director, Communications & Marketing
Wallace State Community College
P.O. Box 2000, Hanceville, AL 35077
1-866-350-9722 256-352-8118 direct
256-352-8314 fax 256-339-2519 cell
Visit us online at www.wallacestate.edu