CLARKESVILLE, Ga. — Students from North Georgia Technical College brought home 23 medals from the 2026 Postsecondary SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta.
The statewide competition began Feb. 19 and concluded with an awards ceremony Saturday, Feb. 21.
NGTC’s SkillsUSA chapter earned medals across a wide range of technical and health care fields and received a bronze medal for overall membership growth.
Gold medalists included Julie Amara of Blairsville in Practical Nursing; Lydia Bryant of Dahlonega in First Aid/CPR; Emma Charon of Winder in Nurse Assisting; Brinlee Koch of Toccoa in Photography; and Grayson Rafala of Eastanollee in Automotive Service Technology.
Dinah Bragg of Blue Ridge, Jaden Mansbridge of Blairsville, Elizabeth Morris of Dawsonville and Skylar Sneed of Mineral Bluff claimed gold in the Health Knowledge Bowl. Matthew Justus of Danielsville, Cole Shelton of Cleveland and Cooper Smith of Cleveland earned gold in Welding Fabrication.
Silver medalists were Daniel Chavez-Serrano of Gainesville in Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration; Alexis Franklin of Morganton in Medical Assisting; Lindsey Goddard of Mineral Bluff in First Aid/CPR; and Amber May of Winder in Photography. Cy Curtiss of Waleska and Petrona Pedro Pascual of Cornelia also earned silver in Digital Cinema Production.
Bronze medalists included Atalaya Adams of Commerce in Medical Assisting; Hannah Redfern of Morganton in Practical Nursing; Zoe Fitzgerald of Blairsville in Medical Math; Madison Samples of Danielsville in Baking and Pastry Arts; Sarah Barron of Demorest in Culinary Arts; Bentley Floyd of Hiawassee in Industrial Motor Controls; Jacob Young of Young Harris in Electrical Construction Wiring; Dorothy Krei of Clarkesville in Photography; Ben Lea of Acworth in Collision Repair; and Yee Leng Moua of Royston in Welding.
Several additional students represented NGTC in competition fields ranging from Crime Scene Investigation and Plumbing to Automotive Refinishing Technology and Restaurant Services.
“I am very proud and impressed by our students, faculty and staff who attended the recent SkillsUSA State Conference in Atlanta,” NGTC President John Wilkinson said. “I am particularly proud that we had winners from all three NGTC campuses. Although SkillsUSA takes extra time and commitment from everyone involved, it has the potential to be a life-changing event for our students.”
Wilkinson said the college’s seven gold medal recipients will advance to the National SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Conference and Competition scheduled for June 1-5 in Atlanta.
Katie Johnson, NGTC assistant director of secondary initiatives and SkillsUSA lead adviser, said the college also placed third in the state for membership growth.
“This year, NGTC was awarded third place for our increase in SkillsUSA members and students brought home 22 medals — a 200 percent increase from 2025,” Johnson said. “It takes a lot of hard work and dedication from not only our students, but our faculty and staff as well. I am honored to be part of such an amazing and talented group. I look forward to seeing them compete at Nationals in June.”
SkillsUSA is a national career and technical student organization that promotes leadership, citizenship and workforce skills for students preparing to enter the workforce or continue their education.
