Twelve College of Western Idaho students took their talents to the 2025 Skills USA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, Georgia from June 23 – 27, bringing home four medals – two gold and two bronze.
SkillsUSA is a nonprofit organization serving middle school, high school, and college students. In partnering with students, teachers, and industry, the organization works to provide a skilled workforce in America. Competitors who win gold in their state competitions have the opportunity to compete in The National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC). NLSC gathers over 16,000 attendees from all over the country with students competing in 110 different competitions. For the first time, CWI took part in the Web Design and Development event and students Ryan Posey and Matthias Barnes each earned bronze medals.
Gold Medal
- Tony Ha – Telecommunications Cabling
- Zyen Logan – Internetworking
Bronze Medal
- Ryan Posey – Web Design (Team)
- Matthias Barnes – Development (Team)
Also attending from CWI
- Ashton "Nyxx" Little – Mechatronics
- Autumn Harvey – Collision Repair
- Cody Toone – Computer Programming
- Eli Escobar – Power Sports
- Frank "Frankie" Ramirez – Welding Sculpture
- Gavin Thompson – Diesel Equipment Technology
- Irma Parks – Mechatronics
- Paula Bingham – CNC Machining
Also in attendance was CWI Alum Jessica Crowley, who graduated from the the Collision Repair Technology program and won both Silver and Gold medals while a student. Crowley remains active in SkillsUSA and runs the Spot Repair sections at both the State and National competitions.
Additionally, Meridian Technical Charter School brought home the gold medal for the High School division, and Dennis Technical Education Center brought home a bronze medal for Idaho in this competition. Both schools are educational partners of CWI.
When students were not competing, they were welcome to partake in various workshops, browse the vendor expo, and watch other competitions. This provided chances for students to build connections with others from across the country and network with potential future employers.
Congratulations to all of the CWI students who provided such a strong presence at NLSC this year! To get involved in SkillsUSA, reach out to CWI’s Skills USA Advisor, James Groat, at jamesgroat@cwi.edu.
