PWSC and Valdez High Students Head to SkillsUSA Nationals!
by V. Heisser |
Students from Prince William Sound College (PWSC) and Valdez High School (VHS) earned top honors at the 2025 SkillsUSA Alaska State Conference this spring!
All state winners were invited to attend the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC) in Atlanta, Georgia, held June 23–27. This event is the nation’s largest gathering for career and technical education, bringing together more than 17,500 students, instructors, and industry leaders for national competitions, workshops, and leadership development.
State Competition results:
Marine Service Technology
1st – Sarah Hanson (PWSC)
2nd – Gabe Caruthers (VHS)
3rd – David Cook (PWSC)
Power Equipment Technology
1st – David Cook (PWSC)
2nd – Gabe Caruthers (VHS)
Post-Secondary Marine Service & Power Equipment Technology
1st – Rich Zifko (PWSC)
PWSC’s Rich Zifko and VHS’s Gabe Caruthers represented Alaska at Nationals last week.
Rich competed in Post-Secondary Marine Service, tackling a rigorous two-day challenge. The competition began with a written exam covering safety, procedures, and industry standards, followed by hands-on lab stations focused on real-world tasks such as compression testing, valve lash measurement, electrical diagnostics, and ABYC-compliant wiring.
Although he didn’t place nationally, Rich shared,
“Meeting industry leaders, networking with students from across the country, and representing PWSC as part of a small, focused team helped me grow both professionally and personally.”
Stay tuned—we’ll be sharing more highlights from our students’ national SkillsUSA experiences soon!