SHELBY — When Rehgan Henry, Summer Kennard, and Amadia Aguire went to PCTC in their junior year of high school they had no idea that they would fall in love with Criminal Justice/Corrections classes.
The girls loved the many courses (some college courses, too) and they were eager to learn the fundamentals. In May of their senior year, they participated in the SkillsUSA competition.
They won the regionals then went to state finals and won the state competition, sending them to Atlanta, Georgia for the national contest. A second-place showing at nationals completed a memorable swing of competitions.
“I am so proud of the girls, and their hard work paid off,” said Dan George, the Criminal Justice instructor at Pioneer Career and Technology Center.
Henry also played softball competitively in Nashville, so she wasn’t nervous about competing in the National SkillsUSA, Crime Scene Investigation where she also shined.
“We had the pleasure of learning from my brother, Nick Henry, who is a law enforcement officer, said Rehgan Henry, who hails from the Madison School District.
Summer Kennard is from the Willard School District, and was thrilled to be competing at the state and national levels.
Amadia Aguire is from the Shelby School District, and was excited about winning regional, state, and going to the nationals.
The SkillsUSA Championships are career competition events showcasing the best career and technical education students in the nation. The space where the contest is held occupies a space equivalent to 31 football fields or 41 acres.
In 2019, there were more than 6,500 contestants in 106 separate events. The philosophy of the Championships is to reward students for excellence, to involve the industry in directly evaluating student performance, and to keep training relevant to future employers’ needs.
The girls went to the nationals in Atlanta, Georgia, and competed at the Congress Center. They felt they did not do their best at the contest. They were scheduled to be the last participants. By that time, they were nervous, tired, and excited.
When the announcement was made and the three girls were announced 2nd place in the nationals they became very excited. They had hoped to do well but were very excited to become runner-up on the national level.
The trio of students wishes to thank Christi Smith, who is a Coordinator at PCTC, for everything that she did to set up the trip to Georgia. She also ordered shirts and pants to match for the contest and made all of the arrangements. Mrs. Henry appreciated the lodging was within walking distance from the Congress Center for competition. A special thank-you to Mrs. Hager, who taught them Street Law in their junior year at PCTC.
On the final day, the group tried to walk to the Congress Center to receive their awards but had to return to the hotel due to rallies pro and against the recent Roe vs Wade ruling.
Rehgan and Summer plan to attend NCTC this fall majoring in Criminal Justice. Amadia Aguire plans to attend Hocking College.
This is the 58th annual National Leadership & SkillsUSA presenting the world’s largest showcase of skilled trades. Quality career and technical education is the centerpiece of the conference.
