LEWISTON, Idaho – Wyatt Seiler and Chod Evans, students in Lewis-Clark State College’s Technical and Industrial Division, won gold medals in the SkillsUSA Idaho Leadership & Skills Conference last week. Both will represent the state of Idaho at the national competition in Louisville, Ky., in June.
Seiler (pictured right above), who is from Lewiston, took first in the CNC Turning competition, hosted in Boise, Idaho, out of large field of students from schools throughout the state.
“They only give you a certain amount of time to make the part, so you have to know what you’re doing before you go into it,” said Seiler, who also said the degree he’ll receive from LCSC this May has already helped land him a job in Port Townsend, Wash. “I think anyone who can visualize stuff in their mind can be pretty good at it.”
Evans (pictured left above), also from Lewiston, won his medal in the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) competition, hosted at Lewis-Clark State College. He placed second in Idaho last year.
“Mark (Smith) is a great instructor and he’s taught me and prepared me very well, so I’m pretty confident that when I go I’ll have a good chance to at least place,” Evans said about his prospects at nationals. “At LCSC they don’t just teach you the skills you need to know, they also teach how to be in a trade – what type of mindset and attitude you should have.”
Four other Lewis-Clark State students took home awards as Braden Erickson placed second in Automotive Refinishing, Jesse Teal was second in Collision Repair Technology, Matthew Munch was third in HVAC, and Gary Boltz was third in Information Technology Services.
“This kind of competition is wonderful,” LCSC Technical and Industrial Division Professor Rob McDonald said. “The students come in and try a competition like this and they realize, ‘I do know some things, but there are some holes that I need to fill as well.’ I think it really builds them up to see what everybody else in the state looks like too.”