Gold, silver, bronze medals for Hennepin Tech students at SkillsUSA
Brooklyn Park, June 27, 2022 – Congratulations to the Hennepin Technical College (Hennepin Tech) students who earned gold, silver, and bronze medals at SkillsUSA, a national competition for career and technical students.
At the annual SkillsUSA Championships, students competed in 108 different trade, technical and leadership events. The event was held in Atlanta, Georgia with 5,200 competitors from across the country.
Luke Arndorfer, Hennepin Tech student in Medium/Heavy Truck Technology, earned a gold medal in Diesel Equipment Technology. Luke earned the top prize after completing the seven hour competition. There were 14 stations that each required 30 minutes of work. The stations represented theory and repair in the following areas: Diesel engine, transmission, and differential as well as electrical diagnosis, vehicle preventive maintenance, hydraulics, brakes and HVAC.
The competitions in the other skilled trades and career categories were also rigorous. Students in each category race against the clock – and their competitors -- to complete projects that demonstrate proficiency in their chosen career field.
Hennepin Tech student Duncan MacLeslie earned a silver medal in Cabinetmaking. In the Information Technology competition, Hennepin Tech student Wendy Olson earned a bronze medal in computer applications. She also earned bronze in last year’s national competition in an IT contest.
The SkillsUSA Championships is the nation’s largest hands-on workforce development event for middle-school, high-school and college/postsecondary students enrolled in career and technical education programs. All of the Hennepin Tech winners in the national championship had previously won gold medals in Minnesota’s SkillsUSA competition which qualified them to advance to the national contest.
About Hennepin Technical College
Founded in 1972, Hennepin Technical College (Hennepin Tech) is the largest stand-alone technical college in Minnesota. With campuses in Brooklyn Park and Eden Prairie, the college has a diverse student population and offers degree and non-degree courses in over 45 programs. The college is a member of Minnesota State, which includes 30 colleges and seven state universities.