Students from the Academies of Loudoun (ACL) Graphic Communications program brought home a team gold medal from the 60th annual SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC), held June 23–27 in Atlanta, Ga.
ACL staff accompanied 19 students who competed in five contests, including senior Mariam Fuseini, who served as a national voting delegate and state officer. Seven other students served as members of the national Courtesy Corps, each contributing more than 65 hours of community service during the event.
Students Samir Bahl, Isabella Miranda and Saira Khan placed first in the Career Pathways Showcase in Arts & Communication for their project, Waddle. The team’s science fair-style project addressed how to improve the job search process for teenagers. Working with multiple business partners, they surveyed peers, identified common challenges and developed an app as a solution. Their innovation and presentation skills earned them first-place honors.
SkillsUSA is the nation’s largest workforce development organization for students, empowering them to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders and responsible community members. More than 18,000 students, teachers, education leaders and representatives from 850 national corporations, trade associations, businesses and labor unions participate in SkillsUSA throughout the year, culminating in the Championships and its 114 hands-on skill and leadership competitions.