ST. GEORGE — The Washington County School Board recognized the accomplishments achieved by district high school students at the Career and Technical Student Organizations competitions at both the state and national levels.
With just under 100 students participating in state competition and some of them competing in nationals, some participants were given time to explain their projects and results.
Introducing the selected students and faculty advisers to the school board was Dave Gardner, the Career and Technical Education Director for the district.
“It is a pleasure to pay some great respect to some great work done in the last year,” Gardner said.
The high school program had not competed in two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Certain selected students who made an appearance at the board meeting all placed within the top 10 of the national competitions for their categories.
The first introduced were the two students who placed first in state competition and also took first in nationals, both from Enterprise High School.
Their advisor, Joan Platt, introduced Addisyn Prisbrey and Adrie Earl, who took first place in the Chapter Project Display Level 3 for the Family Career, and Community Leaders of America organization. The duo did their display off of their Chapter National Program Community Service project, which secured first place at the state and at the national competitions.
Their project, planned in June 2021, consisted of a coordinated effort of service and fundraising for the people of the island of Roatan in Honduras. Utilizing help from a non-profit called Swaddle Love, the students set a goal to raise $2500 in items and funds to help the babies of Honduras who were born into poverty-stricken areas.
According to their website and social media, “Swaddle Love was created as a way to help mothers and babies in Roatan, Honduras. Baby blankets and newborn supplies are collected and taken to the government hospital and given to the approximately 100 babies born each month.”
Prisbrey and Earl helped by doing community yard sales, hot chocolate sales, vendor booths at games and events, passing around a donation bucket, and more. With help from a volunteer of the Washington City Youth Council, they were able to educate the people about the severe situations for newborn babies and mothers in Honduras, including health needs and necessities such as medications, receiving blankets, diapers, and more.
In the end, the final results were staggering as they raised $3,913 in finances. $3,000 in gift cards for buying supplies, $455 in cash, and 2000 diapers. In total, they were able to provide 830 blankets, over 7,000 diapers, and 607 onesies.
On May 14, the students flew to Roatan, Honduras, to deliver the donations and help disperse the items. The doctor of the hospital told them “this is an answer to our prayers,” and it is recognized as the biggest donation ever made. The students were featured on local news in Honduras.
When asked by the school board what they learned from their project, the reply was, “We learned so much about empathy.”
Also recognized was Rebecca Morales of Desert Hills High School, who, along with her adviser, Tierra Davis, took second place in the state and finished in the top 10 of the national competition for Interpersonal Communications. Morales implemented a local program that gifted Hispanic families within her local church with items that were useful in helping break down communication barriers and helped educate them about learning opportunities, communication skills, budgeting, and more. The program helped provide motivational support.
In the SkillsUSA program, Dixie High School under the leadership of Craig Milligan won gold awards. Brinley Greer represented the whole team that won gold for the opening and closing ceremony contest and Kenzie Cooper for the T-shirt design contest. Both the DHS Skills USA Team and Cooper took 11th in the national competition.
Desert Hills High Skills USA Quiz Bowl Team had 5 out of 6 team members present as they reported back on winning first place in state and ninth in the national competition. Desert Hills also had Dylan Pace win the Screen Printing Technology contest in state and he placed third in nationals. Desert Hills Adviser Derek Smith smiled big as he presented the winning quizzers.
In the end, Gardner got up and again congratulated the students on such a wonderful accomplishment as a school district to have such a good outcome at competitions. While the school board and everyone in the room applauded the achievements of these students.
“It’s not just about competition. It’s about personal growth and leadership,” Gardner said.
Career and Technical Student Organizations Top 3 Competition Results:
Distributive Education Clubs of America
- Crimson Cliffs High School
- Isaac Prince – second place state and national in Business Service Marketing
- Autumn Wheatley – second place state in Travel & Tourism
- Ella Tyler – second place state in Travel & Tourism
- Desert Hills High School
- Ethan Altamirano second place in state, Top 10 in presentation at nationals for Hotel & Lodging Management
- Ava Graff – first place state, fifth place national in Quick Serve Restaurant Management
- Taylor Anderson – third place state for Automotive Services Marketing
- Pine View High School
- Austin Robinson – third place state for Personal Financial Literacy
Future Business Leaders of America
- Water Canyon High School
- Keenan Johnson, Travis Spendlove, and William Steed – third place state for Computer Gaming & Simulation Programming
- Keenan Johnson and Williams Steed – third place state for Computer Animation
Family Career & Community Leaders of America
- Desert Hills High School
- Rebecca Morales – second place state, Top 10 national for Interpersonal Communication
- Dixie High School
- Kaliya Roberts – third place state for Event Management Level 3
- Enterprise High School
- Addisyn Prisbrey and Adrie Earl – first place state and nationals for Chapter Project Display Level 3.
- Family Career & Community Leaders of America Chapter – National Programs Community Service, first place state and nationals.
Future Farmers of America
- Pine View High School
- Gregory McKean Naegle, Brooklyn Linville, and Taylor Hughes – Bronze at state for Livestock Judging Contest
Health Occupations Students of America
- Desert Hills High School
- Shi Aban – fourth place state for Nutrition
SkillsUSA
- Desert Hills High School
- Dylan Pace – first place state, third place nationals for Screen Printing Technology
- Johnathan Seth Ashton – first place state, sixth place nationals for Job Skills Demo A
- Steele Wyman – first place state for Pin Design
- Bennett Allen, Gaberel Soliai, Brandon McCook, Tasia Smith, Ava Graff, and Benjamin Hulse – first place State, ninth place nationals for Quiz Bowl
- Madison George – second place state for T-shirt Design
- Julianna Winslow – second place state for Advertising Design
- Sophie Godfrey, Lou Haddadin, Angela Gao, and Samantha Fulford – second place state for Health Knowledge Bowl
- Alyssa Cannon – third place state for Medical Terminology
- Lucy Andelin – third place state for Screen Printing Technology
- Dixie High School
- Glenn Butterfield – first place state, seventh place nationals for Related Technical Math
- Karen Milligan, Camilla Weight, Monique Gardiner, Dallin Yost, Brinley Greer, Taryn Weight, and Linda Cox – first place state, 11th place nationals for Opening and Closing Ceremony
- Kenzie Cooper – first place state for T-shirt Design
- Zach Rands – second place state for Screen Printing Technology
- Soren Bybee – second place state for Information Technology Services
- Jonah Barkley – second place state for Electronics Technology
- Thomas Larsen, Jared Bennion, Broc Stucki, Paris Lamb, and Sterling Morris – second place state for Quiz Bowl
- Laniee Norman – second place state for Pin Design
- Kylie Clarkson – third place state for Pin Design
- Amber Barker – third place state for Advertising Design
- Craig Milligan, Adviser – Pillars of Success Award for Outstanding Service to SkillsUSA Utah
These are not all the students who won awards. Only those who placed in the top 3 at the state competitions were listed, regardless of national results.
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