February 11, 2019
CONOVER, NC (FEB. 11, 2019) – Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC) hosted Channellock, Inc., at a SkillsUSA Day celebration. Channellock, Inc., representatives attended SkillsUSA Day as lead sponsor of SkillsUSA Week, Feb. 3-9, 2019. CVCC honored students of SkillsUSA, faculty, staff and sponsors at the event with awards and recognition.
CVCC is a 2019 recipient of the SkillsUSA Week grant. SkillsUSA Week grants are up to $1,000 sponsored by Channellock, Inc., and Toyota.
“We are excited to be so involved with this organization,” said Ryan DeArment, vice president of sales and marketing at Channellock, Inc., and fifth-generation family operator. “At Channellock, we believe strongly in the value of career and technical education. SkillsUSA Week is a great way for students to promote the program and share their accomplishments with the community.”
CVCC held a pep rally for students of the SkillsUSA chapter on Friday, Feb. 8. The school is a top performer in SkillsUSA and recently achieved total participation in the organization.
Peyton Holland, executive director of SkillsUSA North Carolina, kicked off the event by energizing the students. Dr. Garrett Hinshaw, president of Catawba Valley Community College also spoke at the event, encouraging students to continue participation in career and technical education at the school. Local dignitaries, SkillsUSA advisors, and officers received recognition for support of the students.
Sergeant Donald Walters, Jr., an Army Veteran of Charlotte, N.C., shared his story at the pep rally. In 2017, SGT Walters was given a home by Homes For Our Troops after he was exposed to chemicals that resulted in Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. SGT Walters served as an Infantryman in Iraq for two tours.
“This event all about celebrating the people involved in this program,” said Tim Lawrence, SkillsUSA executive director. “They work extremely hard throughout the year and this is a great way to celebrate each student’s successes in the program while also promoting career and technical education programs.”
About SkillsUSA
Endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education, SkillsUSA serves more than 360,000 students and instructors each year in middle schools, high schools and colleges. The diverse talent pipeline covers 130 trade, technical and skilled service occupations, the majority STEM-related. More than 600 corporations, trade associations, businesses and labor unions actively support SkillsUSA at the national level. SkillsUSA supports its student members through the development of SkillsUSA Framework skills that include personal, workplace and technical skills grounded in academics. Local, state and national championships, designed and judged by industry, set relevant standards for career and technical education provide recognition opportunities for students. SkillsUSA also offers technical skill assessments and workplace credentials through the Career Essentials Suite, a cutting-edge solution that defines, implements and measures career readiness skills for students. For more information: www.SkillsUSA.org.
About Homes For Our Troops
Homes For Our Troops (HFOT) is a privately funded 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that builds and donates specially adapted custom homes nationwide for severely injured post – 9/11 Veterans, to enable them to rebuild their lives. Most of these Veterans have sustained injuries including multiple limb amputations, partial or full paralysis, and/or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). These homes restore some of the freedom and independence our Veterans sacrificed while defending our country, and enable them to focus on their family, recovery, and rebuilding their lives. Since its inception in 2004, nearly 90 cents of every dollar spent has gone directly to program services for Veterans. HFOT builds these homes where the Veteran chooses to live and continues its relationship with the Veterans after home delivery to assist them with rebuilding their lives. For more information on Homes For Our Troops, visit www.hfotusa.org.