Groundbreak Carolinas

GroundBreak Carolinas

Your source for construction industry news in the Carolinas

High Schools | Workforce

Fine Homebuilding and SkillsUSA’s #KeepCraftAlive Scholarship Winners

by SkillsUSA on

SkillsUSA, in the third year of partnership with Fine Homebuilding, is proud to announce the #KeepCraftAlive Scholarship winners. Twenty-four students, all studying in construction-related fields and planning to pursue continued education in the trades, received a $2,500 scholarship for the 2019-20 academic year.

Selections were based on completion of an application, along with a 300-word essay and a letter of support from a teacher, administrator, SkillsUSA advisor or educational/professional mentor. All winners were acknowledged at the 55th SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in June at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.

The scholarship winners are: 

  • Alabama: Artom Pack, Gadsden State Community College; Brodey Staggs and Austin Wilson, Northwest Shoals Community College
  • Connecticut: Dylan Magao, H.H. Ellis Technical High School
  • Florida: Rachel Hawk, Mount Dora High School
  • Georgia: Patrick Duckett, North Cobb High School; Logan Dowell, Hart County High School; Cole Pelfrey, Calhoun High School
  • Kansas: Vagas Khan, Kansas City Kansas Community College
  • Maryland: Mathew Page, Parkside High School
  • Minnesota: Garret Frank, Minnesota State Community and Technical College – Moorhead
  • Nebraska: Fatima Ayal, Career Academy – Lincoln
  • New Mexico: Eric Holiday, Navajo Technical University
  • New York: Matthew Tchernev, Bayport Blue Point High School; Kemuel Mangru, Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical School; Jordan Corvin, Ulster Vo Tech Center
  • North Carolina: Tim Brinkley, Guilford Technical Community College; Don Anderson Jr., Fayetteville Technical Community College; Ashton White, Rowan Cabarrus Community College
  • South Carolina: Travonte Gadson, Heyward Career Center
  • Texas: Jacqueline Medina, Harlingen High School
  • Utah: Aliza Queensberry, Highland High School
  • Washington: Jackson Newberg, Cascadia Technical Academy
  • Wyoming: Atticus Garrett, Kaycee High School

In awarding these scholarships, Fine Homebuilding is encouraging students to follow their passions for construction-related careers and acknowledging the value of their skills and talents. By celebrating the students, Fine Homebuilding hopes to rekindle an appreciation for craftsmanship in the trades and to improve the public perception of trades as an honorable lifelong pursuit.

“For too long, true craftsmanship in America has gone unrecognized and underappreciated. Through these scholarships, and through our collective efforts of the KeepCraftAlive program, we aim to support those who will carry on a legacy of craftsmanship in home building and who will help raise the quality standards of the homes we build,” says KeepCraftAlive executive director Rob Yagid. “This is important work, and Fine Homebuilding is committed to doing all that we can to celebrate those who are passionate about building the best homes possible, in the best way possible.”

For Fine Homebuilding editorial director Justin Fink, the mission is clear: “Helping to solve the skills gap is important to us, but that starts with sending a strong message to anybody who has ever felt the pull towards being a tradesman of any kind — we want to assure them that this is truly a rewarding path, and one that shouldn’t be discouraged.”

Publisher Renee Jordan adds, “It is such a fulfilling experience to be able to impact the lives of students and bring financial support to those who want to pursue a career in the trades. We are especially grateful for the support and dedication of our industry partners, who have stepped up to demonstrate their commitment to this issue as well, including our official charter partner, CertainTeed Corporation, Pella Windows and Doors, In-O-Vate and Feeny.”

“Fine Homebuilding continues to support and recognize America’s future skilled workforce in the construction trades,” says SkillsUSA’s executive director, Tim Lawrence. “This program helps deserving students to continue their education within the field. SkillsUSA is a talent pipeline and a verified skills gap solution. Every year, 100,000 SkillsUSA students complete their technical program job-ready on Day One, and we value this partnership.”

Nationwide, career and technical education (CTE) encompasses 94 percent of high-school students in the United States and 13 million college/postsecondary students in high schools, career centers, community and technical colleges, four-year universities and more. CTE and SkillsUSA are working to be a vital solution to our nation’s economic and workforce challenges including high-school dropout rates, a weakened economy, global competitiveness and layoffs. At a time when opportunity for employment is critical, SkillsUSA and CTE are working to ensure students are equipped with the skills to successfully enter the workforce.

For more information, go to: http://www.keepcraftalive.org