RCC’s Locklear and Santiago bring home silver from National SkillsUSA
Two recent graduates have helped to put Robeson Community College’s Mechatronics program on the map.
Jeremiah Locklear and Angel Santiago brought home silver from the National SkillsUSA competition held in Atlanta, Georgia this past weekend, placing second in Mechatronics with a high score of 95.8. The duo competed against students from across the country and were finalists again teams from Tennessee, who took first place, and Georgia, which placed third.
The team was led by RCC Mechatronics Instructors Joseph Nation and Heath Worriax, who attended the competition with the students.
“Both students graduated this past May,” stated Worriax. “They both came back to campus and practiced three days a week together with Joe… they did an excellent job. They accepted the challenge and their success has a lot to do with how prepared they were beforehand.”
“It was a phenomenal experience to have our students compete on the national level, it was both an honor and a privilege,” stated Nation. “Jeremiah and Angel both worked really hard, they practiced and studied each week leading up to the competition, and it has paid off for them in the end… to place second in a national competition is absolutely extraordinary.”
After the state championship held in April, in which RCC took first, second, third, and fourth place, the students were excited about the chance to be in the national spotlight.
“We’re in it to win it,” the class said. “It was always our plan for everyone to come back with a medal.”
An estimated 15,000 students, teachers, educational leaders from across the country participated in the 110 hands-on skill and leadership competitions during the National SkillsUSA convention.
“This is absolutely amazing news,” stated RCC President Melissa Singler. “We are so proud of Jeremiah Locklear and Angel Santiago who competed against some of the brightest students across the country on a national level.”
“This isn’t just a win for these students, our mechatronics program, or RCC, it’s a win for all of Robeson County and for the State of North Carolina,” Singler said. “These two students have represented us well and proven the excellence, skill and knowledge that can be gained at Robeson Community College. We congratulate these two students and their instructors Joseph Nation and Heath Worriax, but we also applaud the success that all of our students can achieve through the exceptional education Robeson Community College provides.”
