CTE student wins statewide competition

Calumet’s Zander Worm earned a state medal in the SkillsUSA Overall Automobile competition. Worm was the winner at the regional level in a contest that requires both a hand-on diagnostic performance as well as a written component. At states Worm had to properly evaluate an electrical board.

Automotive Lab instructor David Narhi talked with Keweenaw Report in March about what the Michigan competition was going to look like.

The state medal is the first ever won by a Career and Technical Education student. The national competition will be virtual as well, originating from Nashville, Tennessee.

“When asked what it meant to win the State SkillsUSA competition, Worm said, “It feels really great to win, I’m surprised and humbled, but this is what we have been working for here and it means a lot to me.”

Worm continued about what it means to represent the Copper Country ISD CTE program, ‘This program has done a lot for me, it has taught me a lot of things and helped me learn a lot of skills. (The SkillsUSA win) is an opportunity to give back by bringing recognition to the program which means a lot to me also.’”

The full release is below.

*******************************

All programs offered at the Copper Country ISD Career & Technical Education (CTE) strive to prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow, today. This is accomplished by delivering instruction by industry experts, utilizing industry level equipment, and promoting a positive atmosphere for students to learn and grow in. As the tagline says, CTE It’s Working! Evidence of success is CTE Automotive Technology student Zander Worm, a senior and 2021 co-valedictorian at Calumet High School, when he recently won the gold medal for the State of Michigan SkillsUSA Overall Automobile competition. This is a huge accomplishment for Zander and the CTE program as a whole.

All SkillsUSA competitions have been held virtually this year, but still offer a rigorous test of students’ knowledge, skills, and abilities. In the overall competition, students completed a hands-on test which required them to diagnose an electrical board while being judged based on the performed steps by live video technology. Students took a 60-minute written examination about major vehicles systems. Additionally, everyone was required to identify safe shop practices and interpret a Material Safety Data Sheet. Lastly, Worm was required to demonstrate his leadership through a resume he provided as part of the competition.

David Narhi, CCISD CTE Automotive Technology Instructor said, “Having a student win a State level SkillsUSA competition is fantastic, it’s unbelievable as we’ve never had a student go so far.” Narhi continued, “Zander will now continue to the national competition held this summer virtually from Nashville, Tennessee, which is very exciting for him and our program. “

When asked what it meant to win the State SkillsUSA competition, Worm said, “It feels really great to win, I’m surprised and humbled, but this is what we have been working for here and it means a lot to me.”

Worm continued about what it means to represent the Copper Country ISD CTE program, “This program has done a lot for me, it has taught me a lot of things and helped me learn a lot of skills. (The SkillsUSA win) is an opportunity to give back by bringing recognition to the program which means a lot to me also.”

David Narhi continued about students in CTE, “When students have their head in the game as far as what they want to achieve, they have the ability to go places with CTE.”