Argo is having their first SkillsUSA meeting in room 157 on Thursday October 3. The meeting will start at 3:10 and end at 4:30. Bernice Schopf, a graphic arts and art teacher at Argo, has been running SkillsUSA since 2018 along with the assistant advisor Mr. Kowalski and support from Mr. Cognetti. Although it wasn’t her who created it, she finds it important to run it.
“I decided to participate as a teacher because I saw the value in what it brought to the students in terms of leadership skills and opportunities for students,” said Schopf.
Schopf, Kowalski, Cognetti and students work hard every year to keep the SkillsUSA channel going. Here is how Schopf explains SkillsUSA to be.
“SkillsUSA is a student lead organization, that focuses on leadership and career competition. The meetings help prepare students for competition, and we plan activities for the year that help students build and create a resume to be job ready when they graduate,” Schopf said.
The president for SkillsUSA is Joselyn Raundalez, a senior at Argo, with her is another senior at Argo, Ally Coker, who is the vice president. Being in SkillsUSA gives you a chance to run for president, vice president, secretary, and more positions for upcoming years.
“It’s a great opportunity not just to put it on your resume, but to connect with employers, to connect with your community, and most of all, to connect with other students,” said Coker.
Raundalez has been part of the SkillsUSA channel for two years going onto her third, and something she wants to let students know is joining SkillsUSA can help you meet other students that relate to you and are interested in careers that you are interested in as well.
“We get to go on field trips and get to meet other people in the same or other CTE classes, and we compete at the end of the year,” said Raundalez.
SkillsUSA competes in the state leadership conference, and it can make memorable moments for anyone who joins.
“My most memorable experience with SkillsUSA was in the state leadership conference that was last April. It was super fun getting to meet all different type of students that want to do the same type of career as me and finally so many passionate people. Also it was so much fun, and I got to meet so many new friends,” said Coker.
