SALISBURY — Seventeen students from Rowan Cabarrus Community College placed in the 2022 SkillsUSA North Carolina conference held recently in Greensboro.

The event showcased Career and Technical Education, with students participating in trade, technical and leadership competitions.

The following Rowan-Cabarrus students placed in their competitions:

• Kyle Benkendorf of Concord, first place, Electrical Industrial Motor Control
• Joe Guza of Concord, first place, HVAC/R
• Joshua Wood of Concord, first place, Sheet Metal
• Joshua Fruchtman of Salisbury, second place, Automotive Technology
• Ian Habiuk of Kannapolis, second place, Electrical Construction Wiring
• Khettie Chanthaheuang of Concord, third place, T-Shirt Design
• John Lott of Mooresville, third place, Welding
• Eddie Miller of Mt. Pleasant, third place, Electrical Construction Wiring
• Jolie Culbreth of Salisbury, fourth place, Pin Design
• Wesley Holshouser of Salisbury, fourth place, Electrical Construction Wiring
• Richard Barbee of Concord, fifth place, Pin Design
• Kevin Leichman of Salisbury, sixth place, T-Shirt Design
• Gary Hoyt of Concord, seventh place, T-Shirt Design
• Bethany Moore of Monroe, seventh place, Pin Design
• Joshua Drye of Rockwell, eighth place, T-Shirt Design
• William Austin of Salisbury, tenth place, Electrical Construction Wiring
• Mira White of Cleveland, 17^th place, Welding

As first-place winners, Benkendorf, Guza and Wood will advance to national competition.

“We are proud of these talented students and applaud the skills they have developed in their chosen fields of study,” said RCCC President Carol Spalding said. “College is about more than just going to class. Getting involved in organizations like SkillsUSA helps students take their education and career prospects to the next level.”

This year’s Rowan-Cabarrus advisors included Ryland Perry and Brandon Reese, Graphic Design; Brandon Hoffner and Lori Safrit, Welding; Carl Smith, Automotive Technology; Jon Crockett, Joe Christie and Larry Newcomb, HVAC; and James Hauss, Electrical Systems Technology.

The College’s SkillsUSA Chapter once again received the Quality Chapter of Excellence designation for 2022.

SkillsUSA is a national partnership of students, teachers and industry, working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce by providing students with opportunities to gain personal skills, workplace skills, and technical skills grounded in academics. The organization has more than 350,000 student and instructor members at the national level.