News – Sheridan Media
Student competitors met at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia, where the 114 skills and leadership competitions showcased the talents and skills of more than 6,500 students from across the country, competing in a range of technical and service-oriented disciplines.
Two SC students qualified to compete, by earning gold medals in the Wyoming competitions in April.
The following students earned recognition at the national level:
5th Place – CNC Programmer (individual event) Nolan Schaffer – HOMETOWN: Ranchester, WY
This competition assesses each participant’s skill in independently planning and creating programs for 2-axis CNC (Computer Numerical Control) turning centers and 3-axis CNC milling machines, as well as preparing operator instructions for production.
Participants program part features and produce NC code using CAM software, diagnose G-code programming errors, interpret prints (including geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, or GD&T), measure/gauge parts, and showcase their theoretical understanding of CNC turning center and milling machine configuration, setup, and operation.
10th Place – Photography (individual event) Cole Schoenewald – HOMETOWN: Gillette, WY
Participants in the Photography competition are evaluated through a variety of real-world tasks designed to test their comprehensive skills.
These include knowledge of modern digital SLR or mirrorless cameras, field assignment, creating a contact sheet, making a composited digital fine art piece from their field assignment, taking a written exam, portrait/commercial studio using strobe lighting, identifying and correcting common photographic errors, print competition, and a job interview.
“These results reflect our students’ dedication and hard work and showcase the quality of the faculty and programs at Sheridan College,” said SC President Walt Tribley. “We are so proud of their achievements and continued success on a national stage.”
SkillsUSA is a national organization that empowers its members to become world-class workers, leaders, and responsible American citizens.
The competition serves as a platform for students to demonstrate their proficiency in various vocational and technical fields.
According to the SkillsUSA website, “SkillsUSA is America’s proud champion of the skilled trades. Our mission is to empower students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders and responsible community members.”
SC Career and Technical Education Dean, Edith Johnson-LaMeres said that everyone on the team expresses deep appreciation of the participants and their achievements.
“Their commitment and passion signal a bright future for a strong, skilled workforce. We are also grateful to the educators, mentors, and industry partners who support these amazing students.”
More Like this
Last modified: August 5, 2025