FSCC Student Earns First Place at National SkillsUSA Competition

Louisville, Ky.—Fort Scott Community College student Dylan Giager recently earned first place in the carpentry division at the 53rd annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference held in Louisville, Ky.

In April, Giager won the Kansas SkillsUSA competition, which earned him the opportunity to compete at the national level against 26 state champion students from colleges across the United States.

In the months leading up to the national competition, Giager spent many hours practicing projects in the mornings before class and in the evenings. FSCC Carpentry Instructor Kim Coates provided Giager with a variety of plans to help him practice a range of techniques.

“I always say, practice doesn’t make perfect—perfect practice makes perfect. Students have to get each of the project steps just right, from reading the blueprints to making calculations to swinging their hammers,” said Coates. “I knew Dylan would do well because he does quality work and pays a lot of attention to detail.”

Once Giager perfected his building technique, he focused on improving the amount of time he spent completing the projects. All that hard work paid off, because he completed his project more than two hours early.

FSCC carpentry students have won first place at the national SkillsUSA competition for three years in a row. SkillsUSA is a national organization that serves high school and college students who are preparing for careers in technical, skilled, and service occupations. SkillsUSA programs include local, state, and national competitions in which students demonstrate occupational and leadership skills.

For more information about the FSCC Construction Trades program, please contact Judy Meister, FSCC Occupational Recruiter, at 620-223-2700, ext. 5247.