Congratulations to all of the students that represented Georgia at the National Leadership and Skills Conference which was held in Kansas City, Missouri from June 22 – 26, 2009! Georgia brought home the 4th largest number of medals in the nation! There were 17 medallions and 64 finalist positions earned by our members! A pinnacle achievement for SkillsUSA members as part of the new Work Force Ready System is the awarding of Skill Point Certificates. Earning a Skill Point Certificate is a significant achievement that documents a student’s knowledge and hands-on abilities within a certain area. This criterion is developed and endorsed by industry representatives. 76 Georgia students earned Skill Point Certificates, signifying that they achieved technical competencies and proficiency on the national level.
National Leadership and Skills Conference Georgia Highlights at a Glance:
• 300 student, advisor, and parent attendees
• 159 contestants
• 14 Georgia VIPs
• 2 National Officers Elected from Georgia, Eve Ragge, Dekalb High School of Technology North and Zia Green, Kendrick High School
• 17 Gold, Silver and Bronze Medallions presented to Georgia students
• 64 Top Ten Finalist Positions Earned
• 76 Skill Point Certificates Awarded
• Region 2 Advisor of the Year Honored, Mr. Paul Elder, Harris County High School
• Gold Level Recipient of the Presidential Service Award, Jonathan Jones, Southwest Dekalb High School
• Gold Level Recipient of the Presidential Service Award, Tanesha McArthur, Kendrick High School
National Medalists:
Gold Medalist:
Amelia Fleming from Hart County High School in Customer Service
Amber Stamey from R W Johnson High School in Preschool Teaching
Alexander Higgins from Walton High School in Screen Printing Technology
Silver Medalist:
Kevin Aviles from Dekalb High School of Technology North in Occupational Health and Safety-Single
Wilson Gomez from Dekalb High School of Technology North in Occupational Health and Safety-Single
Ahsanullah Nasir from Dekalb High School of Technology North in Occupational Health and Safety-Single
Aaron Marks from Dekalb High School of Technology North in Outstanding Chapter
Kristina Ashton from Fitzgerald High School in Telecommunications Cabling
William Moore from Walton Career Academy in Video Product Development
Alexander Walters from Walton Career Academy in Video Product Development
Bronze Medalist:
Rickey Groover from Centennial High School in Action Skills
Yea Jee Bae from Dalton High School in Advertising Design
Logan Bourne from Shaw High School in Crime Scene Investigation
Zack Elkins from Shaw High School in Crime Scene Investigation
Cody Getkin from Shaw High School in Crime Scene Investigation
Monica Dumas from Crim High School in Occupational Health and Safety – Multiple
Shanica Woods from Crim High School in Occupational Health and Safety – Multiple
Finalists:
Michael Braddy from Troup County High School – 5th place in Automotive Service Technology
Morgan Deveraux from Camden County High School – 4th place in Basic Health Care Skills
Cory James, Justin Massey, Raven Morris, and Brandon Williams from Rockdale Career Academy – 4th place in Broadcast News Production
Kennon Smith from Dekalb High School of Technology South – 6th place in Building Maintenance
William Blackburn from Camden County High School – 5th place in Cabinetmaking
Katherine Booth, Kristin Davenport, Cassandra Morgan, Cole O’Neal, Devin Parks, and Ashley Weldon from Harris County High School – 7th place in Chapter Business Procedure
Kyle McLendon from Grayson High School – 5th place in Computer Programming
Daniel Robinette from North Cobb High School – 9th place in Criminal Justice
Katie Waldrup from Central Education Center – 7th place in Dental Assisting
Austin Dupont, Brittany Milford, Mark Scheier, and Brandon Stover from Hart County High School – 6th place in Entrepreneurship
Kevin Dent from Thomson High School – 6th place in Industrial Motor Control
David Conkle from Jackson High School – 4th place in Marine Service Technology
Whitney Fulbright from Stephens County High School – 9th place in Medical Assisting
Courtney Raymer from Camden County High School – 8th place in Medical Math
Dylan Little from Cedartown High School – 9th place in Plumbing
Tanner Hicks from Troup County High School – 4th place in Power Equipment
Haley Leverette from Stephens County High School – 4th place in Practical Nursing
Victoria Slagle from Troup County High School – 6th place in Prepared Speech
Antuanae Parker, Julian Plowden, and Casey Strickland from Jordan Vocational High School – 6th place in Promotional Bulletin Board
Trenn Carnes, Montana Gray, Stephen Jones, Kelsey Locke, and Jacob Wildes - 4th place in Quiz Bowl
Matthew Worsham from Union Grove High School – 7th place in Related Technical Math
Michael Alvarado from Jordan Vocational High School – 6th place in Sheet Metal
Justin Hutto, Stephen Kennedy, Logan Stover and Fred Voigt from Camden County High School – 10th place in TeamWorks
Byron Bullock, Afon Haile and Brennen Rouse from Dekalb High School of Technology North - 6th place in Tech Prep – Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
Jamal Adams, Desmond Cannon and Porshia Hayden from Dekalb High School of Technology South – 7th place in Tech Prep – Architecture and Construction
Zia Green, Melody Johnson and Laketa Lewis from Kendrick High School – 5th place in Tech Prep-Arts, Audio Visual Technology
John Corley, Jadea Gipson, and Tyra Myers from Dekalb High School of Technology North – 4th place in Tech Prep – Business Management and Administration
Seth Groover, Bakari Height, and Parker Ogden from Wayne County High School – 4th place in Tech Prep – Human Services
Taylor Brannen, Daisy Vargas, and John Yonkosky from Wayne County High School – 4th place in Tech Prep Law, Public Safety and Security
Jovolone Fung-Chung, Jonathan Harris, and Keyano McMichael from Dekalb High School of Technology North – 4th place in Tech Prep-Transportation, Distribution and Logistics
Benjamin Foster; Kyle Hardwick, and Derek Igou from Appling County High School – 4th place in Welding Fabrication
Skill Point Recipients:
Rickey Groover, Action Skills; Yea Jee Bae, Advertising Design; Kelsey Johnston, American Spirit; Rachel McBride, American Spirit; Mathew Mork, American Spirit; Brandon Anderson, Audio-Radio Production; Jackson Helms, Audio-Radio Production; Morgan Deveraux, Basic Health Care Skills; Cory James, Broadcast News Production, Justin Massey, Broadcast News Production; Raven Morris, Broadcast News Production; Brandon Williams, Broadcast News Production; William Blackburn, Cabinetmaking; Katherine Booth, Chapter Business Procedure; Kristin Davenport, Chapter Business Procedure; Cassandra Morgan, Chapter Business Procedure; Cole O’Neal, Chapter Business Procedure; Devin Parks, Chapter Business Procedure; Ashley Weldon, Chapter Business Procedure; Kyle McLendon, Computer Programming; Logan Bourne, Crime Scene Investigation; Zack Elkins, Crime Scene Investigation; Cody Getkin, Crime Scene Investigation; Amelia Fleming, Customer Service; James Mahoney, Electronics Applications; Austin Dupont, Entrepreneurship; Brittany Milford, Entrepreneurship; Mark Scheier, Entrepreneurship; Brandon Stover, Entrepreneurship; David Gore, Firefighting; Rebecca Pacheco, Food and Beverage Service; David Conkle, Marine Service Technology; Kevin Morris, Masonry; Kevin Aviles, Occupational Health and Safety-Single; Wilson Gomez, Occupational Health and Safety-Single; Ahsanullah Nasir, Occupational Health and Safety-Single; Heather Boswell, Opening and Closing Ceremonies; Clair Brooks, Opening and Closing Ceremonies; Courtnee Brown, Opening and Closing Ceremonies; Lanae Kilgore, Opening and Closing Ceremonies; Hannah McAlpine, Opening and Closing Ceremonies; Paris Palma, Opening and Closing Ceremonies; Lisa Womack, Opening and Closing Ceremonies; Aaron Marks, Outstanding Chapter; Dylan Little, Plumbing; Tanner Hicks, Power Equipment; Victoria Slagle, Prepared Speech; Antuanae Parker, Promotional Bulletin Board; Julian Plowden, Promotional Bulletin Board; Casey Strickland, Promotional Bulletin Board; Trenn Carnes, Quiz Bowl; Montana Gray, Quiz Bowl; Stephen Jones, Quiz Bowl; Kelsey Locke, Quiz Bowl; Jacob Wildes, Quiz Bowl; Erik Delgado, Residential Wiring; Alexander Higgins, Screen Printing Technology; Michael Alvarado, Sheet Metal; Zia Green, Tech Prep-Arts, Audio Visual Technology; Melody Johnson, Tech Prep-Arts, Audio Visual Technology; Laketa Lewis, Tech Prep-Arts, Audio Visual Technology; John Corley, Tech Prep – Business Management and Administration; Jadea Gipson, Tech Prep – Business Management and Administration; Tyra Myers, Tech Prep – Business Management and Administration;
Seth Groover, Tech Prep – Human Services; Bakari Height, Tech Prep – Human Services; Parker Ogden, Tech Prep – Human Services; Jovolone Fung-Chung, Tech Prep-Transportation, Distribution and Logistics; Jonathan Harris, Tech Prep-Transportation, Distribution and Logistics; Keyano McMichael, Tech Prep-Transportation, Distribution and Logistics; Kristina Ashton, Telecommunications Cabling; William Moore, Video Product Development; Alexander Walters, Video Product Development; Benjamin Foster, Welding Fabrication; Kyle Hardwick, Welding Fabrication; Derek Igou, Welding Fabrication
Career Center graduate returns home to work at BMW of Macon
By Julie Hubbard - jhubbard@macon.com
Woody Marshall/The Telegraph Levon Tarver shows his Hutchings Career Center teacher Sonny Reeves his new tools Thursday. Tarver purchased the tools after graduating school in Florida. He was putting the new tools in his toolbox in the BMW of Macon shop where he will start working full time as a master technician today.
Levon Tarver looked a lot different. He had grown a foot taller, and he sported a full-blown Afro.
“How are you? ... And where’s Levon?” Sonny Reeves, his former high school automotive teacher, asked him jokingly last week when the two reunited after more than a year.
Tarver, a 2007 graduate of the Hutchings Career Center, left Macon and his after-school job at BMW of Macon to attend auto-diesel college and then a specialized school in Florida. When he left, he promised he’d return home to work one day.
And now he’s making good on his word.
While former co-workers greeted him and ribbed him about his hair, Tarver, now 20 and 6-foot-2, was unloading $12,000 worth of new tools he had just bought to help him in his new job.
Starting today, he’s BMW of Macon’s newest master service technician. He’ll earn at least $55,000 a year and could one day advance into auto design or become a field service technician, traveling the country to help stumped mechanics.
“I think he’s one of those good-luck stories where someone deserved a break, got a break and took advantage of it,” said Richard Haynes, a service adviser for the dealership.
Tarver grew up playing with model cars and building gas-powered airplanes. There was a time he thought of the car industry as more of a hobby. He planned a career in computers or the military.
But after taking courses in the Hutchings automotive program to change oil, install brakes and perform other basic car maintenance, he got hooked.
When Tarver was 16, Reeves helped him get an apprenticeship at the dealership.
“When he first walked in, I thought he was 12 or 13 years old,” Haynes said of the then 5-foot teen. “Like most people, I was reluctant; 16-year-olds and $100,000 cars don’t go together.”
At the time, due to insurance coverage, Tarver was actually too young to drive any of the dealership cars or work with powerful machinery.
But he turned out to be a real whiz with electronics, even winning a state automotive skills competition.
“After two days, we knew he was a diamond in the rough,” Haynes said. People — from dealership workers to his former teacher — all took the teen under their wing, taking him home for dinner and supporting him once when he was living in his sister’s car.
By age 18, Tarver was working on internal computer systems at the dealership and diagnosing cars for glitches.
During his senior year, he landed a full $21,000 scholarship to Nashville Auto-Diesel College. A year later, BMW of Macon paid the $11,000 tuition to send him to Orlando, Fla., for a program to specialize in servicing the high-end cars.
He graduated May 29.
“The money you make is higher than some college graduates can make after four or five years” of school, Tarver said while unloading his tools. “And this dealership has taken really good care of me.”
For his former teacher, it also means a lot to see a local product thrive and return home.
