March 13, 2023
Gainesville, Ga— Annually, Lanier Technical College’s best and brightest compete in the Georgia Post-Secondary state SkillsUSA Competitions. During the week of March 6, 2023, competitors from around the State of Georgia met at the Georgia World Congress Center to compete in many of the high-demand career-based academic programs that the Technical College of Georgia (TCSG) offers.
In all, Lanier Technical College had 25 students place in either the Gold, Silver, or Bronze medal categories. Their names and competitions are as follows:
Gold Medals
| Student | Competition | Instructor |
|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Warro | Firefighting | Karen Nowakowski |
| Christian Alsina | Marine Service Technology | Hans Metz |
| Janet Chapman | Cosmetology | Jayna Durden |
| Logan Patterson | Damage Appraisal and Analysis | Damien Anderson |
| Estie Duck | Esthetics | Jackie Mann |
| Paige Buhite | Costumer Service | Kari Register, Advisor |
| Janet Penaloza | Career Pathways – Health Services | Annette Baker |
| Lillian Phillips | Career Pathways – Health Services | Annette Baker |
| Ashley Watson | Career Pathways – Health Services | Annette Baker |
| Drew Ray | Diesel Equipment Technology | Lon Phillips |
| Steven Gabriel | Robotics and Automation | Luis Melendez/Chad Faircloth |
| Brandon Strike | Robotics and Automation | Luis Melendez/Chad Faircloth |
Silver Medals
| Student | Competition | Instructor |
|---|---|---|
| Sam Strickling | CNC 3-Axis Milling Programmer | Tommy Morris |
| Griffin McCreary | Marine Service Technology | Hans Metz |
| Grace Van Aken | Firefighting | Karen Nowakowski |
| Jeremiah Howard | Diesel Equipment Technology | Lon Phillips |
| Ronald Filomeno | Automotive Refinish Technology | Damien Anderson |
| Brooklyne Dunlap | Mechatronics | Luis Melendez/Alicia Emrick |
| Hayes Gabriel | Mechatronics | Luis Melendez/Alicia Emrick |
| Chris Alba | Collision Repair Technology | Damien Anderson |
| Ashleigh Dyer | Medical Assisting | Christina McRee |
Bronze Medals
| Student | Competition | Instructor |
|---|---|---|
| Sean Peavy | Firefighting | Karen Nowakowski |
| Frank Garland | Marine Service Technology | Hans Metz |
| Justin Ruiz | Collision Repair Technology | Damien Anderson |
| Rich Marceleno | Damage Appraisal and Analysis | Damien Anderson |
Additionally, the two exiting SkillsUSA 2022 State of Georgia Officers, Paige Buhite and Ashley Watson, welcomed newly-elected State Officer, Janet Penaloza, who is also from Lanier Technical College.
These gold medal recipients will go on to compete at the National SkillsUSA Conference in Atlanta, Georgia during the week of June 19, 2023. Gold Medal recipients from the National Conference in June will be known nationally for excellence in their chosen profession.
ABOUT SKILLSUSA
SkillsUSA empowers its members to become world-class workers, leaders, and responsible American citizens. We improve the quality of our nation’s future workforce through the development of SkillsUSA Framework skills that include personal, workplace, and technical skills grounded in academics. Our vision is to produce the most highly skilled workforce in the world, providing every member with the opportunity for career success.
