Photo provided Several Kennett Career and Technology Center students recently attended the 2008 SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Conference in Jefferson City, Mo., after placing high enough in the District Championships at Doniphan, Mo. Those students included, from left, Cameron Dye, Brad Moss, Tyler Roberts, Nick Dillon, Derick Waller, Lindsey Pruett, Jeremy Westerfield, Drake Daniels, Latasha Jones, Jorge Vilchis and Chad Crowder. [Click to enlarge]

Several Kennett Career and Technology students recently attended the 2008 SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Conference in Jefferson City, Mo., after placing high enough in the District Championships at Doniphan, Mo.

According to representatives from the school, many of the students left Kennett, heading for the competition with no idea of what would be expected. Their performances proved themselves to be great examples of what the Kennett Career and Technology has to offer.

At Doniphan there were nine categories in which local students placed.

In the category of automotive service technology info, seven local students placed. Those students included Chad Crowder, who received second place, Nick Dillon, who received third, Mitchell Gray, who came in fourth, Johnny Puga, who received fifth place, Derrick McCoy, who came in seventh, and Brandon Perkins, who followed in eighth place.

Dillon, Crowder, and Perkins also placed in the automotive service technology category, with Dillon claiming first place, Crowder following in second, and Perkins taking fifth.

In collision repair finishing, Drake Daniels took second place, while Randy Blankenship received fifth.

Jorge Vilchis earned the first place prize in collision repair technology, while Freddy Vilchis placed in fourth.

Electronics technical info allowed Brad Moss to show his skills, netting him the first place slot. Derick Waller followed in second, and Jeremy Westerfield took the third place title.

Westerfield and Waller also took titles in the electronics technology division. In that category Westerfield placed first and Waller followed in second.

In the health knowledge bowl, four local students placed first. Those students included Cameron Dye, Latasha Jones, Lindsey Pruett and Tyler Roberts.

Danielle Walker received third place in the nurse assisting category and also claimed fifth in a separate division covering nurse assisting technical info. Pruett also claimed sixth in that category.

Of those students participating and placing at the district level, 11 students qualified and participated at the state level event held in Jefferson City.

Those students competing at state included Kennett High School students Cameron Dye, Tyler Roberts, Lindsey Pruett, Jeremy Westerfield, Drake Daniels and Latasha Jones; Senath-Hornersville High School students Brad Moss and Derick Waller; Southland High School students Nick Dillon and Jorge Vilchis; and Campbell student Chad Crowder.

The results of the state competition revealed that Kennett High School junior, Drake Daniels, had been named the second place winner in the state in automotive refinishing technology, which is a notable accomplishment for the talented eleventh grader.

According to Drake's mother, Kathy Rogers, since he was old enough to pick up a book or magazine, Drake has read and learned so much about vehicles and how to repair and paint them.

"We are extremely proud of him," Rogers said. "This was a big accomplishment for our son."

According to Rogers, because of her son's performance in the SKILLS USA state competition, Drake was awarded scholarships that will enable him to do something he has always dreamed of, which is to go to school at what Rogers calls the nation's premiere tech school for auto body collision/repair.

The school Daniels has been considering is WyoTech, formerly known as Wyoming Technical Institute.

According to the school, graduates of WyoTech are qualified to work in a variety of collision refinishing technician positions, including trim and upholstery, applied service management, motorsports chassis fabrication and street rod/custom fabrication.

WyoTech is the official school of National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and has produced some of the best and most widely recognized experts in this field.

Like Daniels, many of the students who participated in both events and came out with awards will have opportunities next year to participate in the competition again, which will increase their options for the future.

Outside of Daniels' accomplishments at state, several other students did well in the competition.

Crowder was rated 18th in the state in automotive service technology, while Nick Dillon claimed 13th place.

In the health knowledge bowl, Dye, Jones, Pruett, and Roberts secured sixth in the state.

Moss claimed the number 14 slot in electronics technical information category.

Vilchis was awarded the 16th slot in the collision repair technology division.

In the electronics technology category, Waller came in at 10th place, and Westerfield earned the number eight spot in the state.

For more information on the Kennett Career and Technology Center call (573) 717-1123.

SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled work force. For more information on that organization log on to www.skillsusa.org.