Story By Ginnie Graham, Tulsa World Staff Writer
Photos by Mike Simons Tulsa World Photographer
Reprinted with permission
Scott Shipman had to sell his construction plan before he could lay
the first brick. As a carpentry and masonry student, Shipman knows that
planning and salesmanship are integral to his career.
He was one of about 2,200 students proving his abilities
in CareerTech’s
SkillsUSA competition, which ended Thursday at the Maxwell Convention
Center in Tulsa.
| “This gives you a chance to get
on-the-job training,” he said. “You can build things
all you want in class, but once you get on the job, it’s
different.”
Shipman placed third in the national masonry contest
last year. This year, he competed in TeamWorks, which puts together
four students from different disciplines to build a room in a specific
time period. Order changes were to be given to the students during
the competition.
Skilled in two areas, Shipman developed a plan to
build a bathroom in 16 hours with others from the Meridian Technology
Center in Stillwater. The team had to make a presentation before
work began.
“We had to explain how we would build it and
the time it would take,” Shipman said.
“Unlike before, I’m having to work with
three other people. Even though I knew them before, we never had
to work on a project like this. It’s like what would happen
on a real job. So far, everything has been on track.”
Just a
few feet from the line of new bathrooms and air-conditioning repair
work, budding cosmetologists crimped hair, painted nails and made
up glamorous faces.
Marisa Frye of the Moore Norman Technology Center
left her public relations job after a year to become a professional
hair stylist. She has a bachelor’s degree in business management
from the University of Oklahoma. |
|
Robert
Mills of Central Tech builds a TeamWorks
project during CareerTech’s SkillsUSA Competition. "This
gives you a chance to get on-the-job training. You can build things
all you want in class, but once you get on the job, it’s
different." Scott
Shipman carpentry and masonry student |
“I just didn’t like my job and wanted to do something completely
different,” Frye said. “I went to a hair show in Tulsa and
found it interesting. I love doing this. There is always something different
and interesting to do.”
As Frye put intricate designs into an updo on a mannequin head, she
hoped that industry professionals would see her work.
Lindsey Baron of the Moore Norman Technology
Center competes in the cosmetology portion of SkillsUSA Competition. |
Businesses support the competition
by donating prizes and serving as judges.
Frye said the cosmetology program requires a balance
of academic study, business acumen and personality. Her lifetime
goal is to open a salon.
“I had anatomy for two years at OU, and I
learned even more doing this, like understanding joints, bone
structure and hormones,” Frye said. “It’s a
very academic program, plus you have to have great people skills.”
As the nail technicians concentrated on the perfect
manicure, Manuela Gomez yelled for someone to call 911 just before
she administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation to a dummy.
Gomez is a criminal justice student at Great Plains
Technology in Lawton.
A judge followed Gomez as she worked to revive
a person, dusted a glass for fingerprints and made an arrest
after a routine traffic stop.
“Being a female in this program
is hard,” Gomez said. “I think they hold us to a high
standard. You have to be able to compete with the boys or you will
get your butt kicked just like they do.”
Gomez said she wants
to work in some law enforcement capacity when she graduates in
May. She said her career path is in contrast with her family. |
“Let’s just say there are some lawbreakers in my family,
and I wanted to make a change,” Gomez said. “It’s definitely
something different from what my family does.”
Fellow student Michael Gillian said he plans to be a police officer,
just like his grandfather.
“I really like learning about laws in our criminal law classes,” Gillian
said. “We have an in-depth study of law. You have got to be inclined
to do this program. You cannot just come inand say I think I’ll
try it. It is challenging.”
Winners of the contests will compete in the national conference held
during the summer in Kansas City.
“I feel really confident and prepared,” Gillian said. “But
I’m worrying about the competition. I know the material. But I
don’t know how I will do against other people.”
Copyright 2006 Tulsa World |
