Category Archives: SkillsUSA

NOVA Wins Gold, Silver, and Bronze at SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference!


NOVA’s SkillsUSA National Competitors

Back Row (L to R): Soham Nawthale, Jonatan Solomon Gebremichael, Nathaniel Bunger, Ardian Peach

Front Row: Takeshi Tamashiro-Pardo, Marcus Dent, Claudio Molina, Dhyuthi Chegu, Kanykei Korosheva, Mahelet Gebremichael, Nora Kaup


Last September, upon being recognized at a special NOVA ceremony for winning a bronze medal in Cybersecurity at the 2022 SkillsUSA National Conference, Ardian Peach was prescient about NOVA prospects in future SkillsUSA events when he declared “although this is NOVA’s first medal on the national stage, it won’t be the last.”

How right he was. Last week, June 19-23, at the 2023 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, NOVA took home Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals, with Peach one-upping himself from last year with a silver in Cybersecurity.

The Skills USA National Leadership & Skills Conference is the ultimate recognition of excellence in career and technical education. This event brings together thousands of students, instructors, business partners, and administrators to celebrate the accomplishments of those preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations, and it’s an incredible opportunity for students to showcase their talents and skills on the national level.

NOVA’s Jonatan Solomon Gebremichael Wins Gold!


NOVA triumphed with their first national gold. Jonatan Solomon Gebremichael won in the category of Internet of Things: Smart Homes, a three-day intense hands on event where he was required to install a smart TV, smart thermostat, antennae and more onto a make shift room. The event included a troubleshooting component which required him to fix certain things that “went wrong” with his installation.

Gebremichael was ecstatic over his win, saying “It felt amazing. It was something that I’ve never thought would happen because I did not imagine that I was going to win. I worked so hard, not because I wanted to win, but because I truly enjoy what I do. Being encapsulated in my work and my love and appreciation for STEM and engineering led me to this moment. I’ve won at other competitions, but nothing this big nationally, and for that I am so, so happy. Words cannot even express right now. NOVA has brought me to the forefront of my dreams.”

Read more about Jonatan’s experience here.

As mentioned earlier, Ardian Peach returned to take silver in Cybersecurity and earned back-to-back National stage winner status. The three-person team of Nathaniel Bunger, Kanykei Korosheva and Mahelet Gebremichael earned bronze in the Engineering Technology Design team challenge. Claudio Molina also took bronze in Principles of Engineering.  Dhyuthi Chegu took the silver in Extemporaneous Speaking.

Mahelet Gebremichael, Kanykei Korosheva, and Ardian Peach with their medals.


Ardian Peach remarked on his continued success “there’s really something special about being able to compete at nationals against some of the brightest students in the country, and fly home with a medal. We’ve proven that our skills go far outside the classroom and have real world impact, and I’m really proud of that. I’ve gotten opportunities at NOVA that I couldn’t get at a lot of 4 year institutions, which have definitely put me ahead. Shoutout to AllCyber at the Woodbridge campus for helping me prepare for SkillsUSA Nationals!”

Peach will transfer to University of Central Florida this Fall and just this week received news that he has been accepted to the USA National Cybersecurity Camp/Combine, which is used to select the team to compete at the International Cybersecurity Challenge.

NOVA’s SkillsUSA team began their journey in Fall 2022, which culminated in 13 gold medals at the State Championship in April (read more about that here) and 12 students qualifying for Nationals. Students arrived in Atlanta on Monday, June 19, registered and went straight to work.  Some worked on final adjustments to their projects, others put in one final night of studying and review while others met other students and industry professionals from across the country.  The conference was held at the Georgia World Congress Center with some events held at nearby venues.  Thousands of students competed from all 50 states.

The theme for the conference was “Our Time is Now” and NOVA students proved themselves up to the task.  Each team member supported each other and cheered each other on as the conference and competitive events progressed.

One of the bronze medalists In Engineering Technology, Kanykei Korosheva (who is also president of NOVA’s Student Government Association), said that being part of SkillsUSA “has truly been an extraordinary journey throughout my college experience, enriching me with invaluable skills and unforgettable memories. The camaraderie and collaborative spirit we fostered as a team were instrumental in our success. The networking aspect of SkillsUSA opened doors to new friendships, mentorship possibilities, and potential career prospects.”

Her teammate Mahelet Gebremichael added “this has been an incredible journey for me. It required courage to step out of my comfort zone and explore various areas of engineering, technology, and design through my competition. NOVA has played a crucial role in my growth by providing opportunities to engage in clubs, attend conferences, and even pursue an internship that exposed me to real-world applications of my studies. NOVA’s commitment to providing opportunities for all students, regardless of their background or level of confidence, is truly remarkable and Skills USA plays a big role in connecting students with the same passion and interest, providing a platform for collaboration and learning from one another.”

Nate Bunger, a fellow bronze medalist, was similarly grateful for the support he has received in his success: “SkillsUSA, along with the gracious help and resources of NOVA, helped build my skills, let me explore my passion, and gave me the tools necessary to succeed in our competition.”

NOVA’s medalists are listed below.

  • Jonathan Solomon Gebremichael – Gold medal: Smart Homes, Internet of Things
  • Ardian Peach – Silver medal: Cybersecurity
  • Dhyuthi Chegu – Silver medal: Extemporaneous Speaking
  • Nathaniel Bunger – Bronze medal: Engineering Technology Design, 3-person team event
  • Mahelet Gebremichael – Bronze medal: Engineering Technology Design, 3-person team event
  • Kanykei Korosheva – Bronze medal: Engineering Technology Design, 3-person team event
  • Claudio Molina – Bronze medal: Principles of Engineering

There was success for other NOVA students as well. Marcus Dent, placed 5th in telecommunications/cabling and received an immediate job offer from his mentor. Takeshi Tamashiro-Pardo competed in Information Technology and earned his industry certification, CompTIA A+ core 1 and core 2.

Along with all the students listed above, Nora Kaup – First aid/CPR, Soham Nawthale – Computer Programming, and Tanjim Redhwan – Realted Technical Math competed at the national level after winning at the State Championship in April.

Special thanks goes to NOVA IET’s CTE Coordinator M. Andy Chaves and NOVA SySTEMic’s Fab Lab Coordinator Mary Ratcliff for expertly guiding and advising students through the entire process.

Congratulations SkillsUSA NOVA students! You make us proud and boldly lead the way for others at NOVA to strive and succeed.

#BoldyNOVA #SkillsUSA #InDemandTech #NOVAIET

NOVA Student and SkillsUSA National Gold Medalist Reflects On His Journey

NOVA’s Jonatan Solomon Gebremichael won a Gold Medal at the 2023 SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta on June 23.

Gebremichael triumphed in the category of Internet of Things: Smart Homes, a three-day intense hands-on event where he was required to install a smart TV, smart thermostat, antennae, and more items into a makeshift room.


See related story: NOVA Wins Gold, Silver, and Bronze at SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference!


We spoke to Jonatan the week after his big win and he has a great story to tell, from overcoming extreme adversity to being a SkillsUSA champion.

How did it feel to win Gold at the national level?

It felt amazing. It was something I did not imagine that I’d win. Winning States was one thing, but winning Nationals kind of blew my mind.

I worked so hard, not just because I wanted to win, but because I truly enjoy what I do. Being encapsulated in my work and my love and appreciation for STEM and engineering led me to that moment. I’ve been to multiple hackathons and engineering competitions with my friends at the Northern Virginia Community College Society of Physics Students and engineering club and we’ve competed at a NASA hackathon physics conference. I’ve won second place, I’ve won third place, but nothing this big and nationally. And for that I am so, so happy.

When I went on that stage at Nationals and they called my name out, I could not believe it – I placed as a finalist. When they called third place for someone else, I was like, “oh my God, I won second place.” And then they called second place and it was the other person, my heart just dropped because I knew I was first! At that moment I realized, I am worth it. My work has been acknowledged.

What obstacles have you overcome while building your skills?

I come from poverty. I would never wish the kind of struggles I’ve had on another person. I came here alone, 14 years old, and then my mom followed me, and then my sister followed me because we were fleeing Ethiopia, without money, drinking sparkling water so the hunger would disappear so we can sleep. We lived in a basement, renting from somebody else’s house. And I had to learn English.

It is difficult to be the parent of my mother, to be the parent of my sister, to be the breadwinner of a household, at the same time trying to reach my goals. Who am I supposed to turn to to reach these goals? I know I will achieve greatness, people told me this starting from when I built an electric sharpener out of a broken computer fan in the villages of Ethiopia when I was a kid. But my experience getting to where I am has been very hard.

What does greatness mean to you?

To have opportunities. To be significant. To be needed. To have purpose. And I will be ready at the door for opportunities because it’s stuck in my fingernails.

Earlier on, no matter how much I tried, no matter how much passion and tenacity I showed, I could never keep up with the workload. It’s not my not understanding of the subject but the struggles of being a Northern Virginia Community College student when I also have to feed my family. Even with previous accomplishments, trying to be recognized for my ability, I lost my mind when people told me, “Jonatan, you’re going to be great someday,” just for them to turn around and say my grades didn’t reflect that, it made me mad. I would hide my identity. I would hide all the problems because I didn’t want to be treated differently. I had a goal in mind to provide for the world – problem solving is the core part of who I am – helping people with kindness and care. And the SkillsUSA win was insanely great because of that.

What does the win mean to you personally?

It really hit close to home because of the adversity I am from. It gives me the opportunity to be great, to imagine growing in this field. I am not a person who is afraid of failure. I am an inventor and my purpose is way bigger than me. I joined the Society of Physics Students when I’m not even a physics major. But allowing myself to be around people that have the same purpose and passion is so wonderful to me. And that has helped me grow and learn.

Because of my immigration status and the adversity I’ve come through, showing my skills and being recognized was something that really impacted me for the first time when I was standing on that national stage.

I care about my purpose. I don’t care about money, power, or fame. I have a goal in mind and I will not stop that I get there and it is finally starting to pay off. NOVA gave me a chance to go to college when all other colleges declined me, it let me be part of a community of people who are also passionate in their field, learning and growing while having fun at the same time. This is when learning happens, not only in the classroom but through conversations and projects and work and just hanging out with your fellow classmates who are passionate about what they do.

I am also so thankful for SkillsUSA because it gave me the opportunity to show my knowledge outside the realms of traditional education. SkillsUSA and NOVA provided me with a chance to be great.

How have you achieved your goals?

Preparation and loving what you do.  No matter how bad things are, no matter how much I’m failing, no matter how much I’m struggling, I’m not giving up or letting go of my identity. My preparation was also being surrounded by people also wanting to do this, stuff like this, for fun, regardless of winning or losing.

How will this award impact your future and how will you help others?

NOVA has brought me to the forefront of my dreams. When I try to get a job, I’m able to prove myself now. Hopefully I’ll make enough money to create a learning center, but more importantly, I’ll create a scholarship for students like me that never got the support. The kid who is smart and loves what he does, but just can’t make it happen because of this trials and tribulations. I want to be there for that kid, because I went through it man. I’ll help them out. I can’t wait to help these people, because I know the kind of potential that we can give to the world – future leaders that would otherwise have been abstracted away by the society we live in.

What advice you have for other students?

Don’t let your struggles define your potential, your ability, and your identity. Do what you love. It’s so easy for great minds to disappear. If you’re are a great thinker, just stand at the door of opportunity because no matter how twisty the roads, no matter how many dead-ends, your passion and love for what you do will get you to the finish line. Places like Northern Virginia Community College specialize in these opportunities.

Jonatan with Chelle Travis, National Executive Director of SkillsUSA, after his gold medal win


Jonathan’s sister, Maddie Gebremichael, also won the bronze medal in Engineering Technology and Design, proving that vision, hard work and skill run in the family. She reflected “Thrilled and grateful to have won the bronze medal in Engineering Technology and Design at the SkillsUSA Nationals as part of the NOVA Nightwaks team! A huge thank you to Northern Virginia Community College and NOVA foundation for their incredible support and opportunities. It’s an honor to be a part of a vibrant community that truly cares about opening paths for student success.”

You can read more about NOVA’s other medal winners here.

 

NOVA Students Win 13 Gold Medals at SkillsUSA State Championship!

At the SkillsUSA Virginia State Leadership Conference in Virginia Beach this past weekend, 15 students represented Northern Virginia Community College: 13 won gold medals for NOVA and 2 won silver!

Each of the gold medalists were declared State Champions in their respective competitive events (including Cybersecurity, Computer Programming, Engineering Technology Design, Information Technology Services, and more) and qualify for the National SkillsUSA Conference in June in Atlanta.

Overall there were 10 individual champions and 2 team champions (a two-person team and a three-person team).  Here are the winning NOVA students and their events:

Competition # on team NOVA Student/SKILLSUSA Member SkillsUSA Virginia State Leadership Conference 2023 Placement
Computer Programming 1 Soham Nawthale State Champion
Related Technical Math 1 Tanjim Redhwan State Champion
Cybersecurity 2 Chimere Nzedu State Champion
Cybersecurity 2 Ardian Peach State Champion
Engineering Technology Design 3 Maddie Gebremichael State Champion
Engineering Technology Design 3 Kanykei Korosheva State Champion
Engineering Technology Design 3 Nathaniel Bunger State Champion
Internet of Things 1 Jonathan Solomon Gebremichael State Champion
Extemp Speaking 1 Dhyuthi Chegu State Champion
First Aid CPR 1 Cindy Tran Silver Medalist
First Aid CPR 1 Nora Kaup State Champion
Information Technology Services 1 Alyssa Vasilica Silver Medalist
Principles of Engineering 1 Takeshi Tamashiro-Pardo* State Champion
Telecommunications & Cabling 1 Claudio Molina State Champion

The State Leadership Conference provided students with the opportunity to utilize the technical knowledge learned in the classroom to solve problems and apply what they learned (with coaching and advising from industry professionals) in a competition environment. Now they have the opportunity to represent NOVA on the national stage!

#InDemand #SkillsUSA

 

NOVA at SkillsUSA National Conference!

Five NOVA students represented Virginia at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC) June 20-24 in Atlanta, GA. The national competitors at this conference are the top 2% of CTE students from across the country. NOVA students competed in Cybersecurity, Computer Programming, Extemporaneous Speaking and Job Skills Demonstration.

Ardian Peach and Humza Ansari finished 4th in Cybersecurity, completing tasks at and demonstrating knowledge at 10 cyber stations.

Alexander Choi finished 4th in Computer Programming after completing 2 challenges.

Claudia Oviedo finished 10th in Extemporaneous Speaking, after being prompted to prepare a 3-5 minute speech in just 10 minutes.

Maddie Gebremichael finished 13th in Job Skills Demonstration, giving a 5-7 minute speech to judges on engineer theory of a suspension bridge.

While at NLSC students also attended SkillsUSA University workshop sessions and participated in Techspo to meet with industry partners.

They also enjoyed the largest unofficial conference activity: trading state pins with other attendees from across the nation and networking with other student members.

Ardian Peach, who finished 4th overall in Cybersecurity, reflected on competing at the National Conference: “I’m extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to participate in SkillsUSA…The personal and professional development that everything led up to is something that you can’t really get anywhere else. Preparing for these events and eventually putting my skills to the test helped motivate me to learn more about my field, as well as evaluate my own self discipline. School can help, but if you want to win, that’s entirely up to you to put in the work to make it happen, and SkillsUSA is one of the best examples to show a student’s hard work.”

Niki Gordon, NOVA’s SkillsUSA advisor, said “SkillsUSA is such a great opportunity for students to take classroom learning and apply it to real world settings.  These competitions are not just written tests, these students have to complete projects, solve problems and showcase their technical skills. I am so proud of them for embracing this opportunity to improve themselves, build their resumes and further prepare for their futures in IET.”

Students will be receiving a congratulatory note from NOVA President, Dr. Kress.

Students had excellent support in preparing outside of classes. For cybersecurity, special recognition goes to Professor William McLaughlin, Professor Kwabena Konado, Professor Fernando Seminario, and AllCyber – Woodbridge Cyber Club. For computer programming, Professor Ryan Ammons.

Advisor Niki Gordon also worked with the two leadership students to prepare for their speech competitions.

Funding for the SkillsUSA Chapter and the trip to the National Leadership and Skills Conference was provided by our Federal Perkins Award, Micron, and the NOVA Foundation through the carry over of the founding InNOVAtion grant which started the chapter two years ago.

NLSC info and stats can be found here: https://www.skillsusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/NLSC-2022-Flyer-Web.pdf

NOVA Wins Big At SkillsUSA State Leadership Conference

(Back row: Humza Ansari, Tyler Armendaris, Maddie Gebremichael. Middle row: Niki Gordon, Ardian Peach, Hamza Ansari, Claudia Oviedo, Front Row: Alex Choi)

Seven NOVA Students earned seven medallions at the SkillsUSA Virginia State Leadership Conference on April 8-9 in Virginia Beach!

They competed in four competitions: Cybersecurity, Computer Programming, Extemporaneous Speaking, and Job Skills Demonstration.

Cybersecurity Team A (Ardian Peach and Humza Ansari) earned gold, while Cybersecurity Team B (Tyler Armendaris and Hamza Abdo) earned silver.

During competitions students had to demonstrate their technical skill knowledge around topics like Enterprise Router Security, Managing Switch Security and Troubleshooting, as well as completed a written test. Alex Choi earned gold in Computer Programming, showcasing his technical abilities in programming related to Java and C++ as well as completing a written test.

Claudia Oviedo earned gold in Extemporaneous Speaking where she gave a speech after only having 5 minutes to prepare on that topic. And, Maddie Gebremichael earned gold in Job Skill Demonstration A where she gave a speech and taught the judges how to build a suspension bridge and the engineering behind it.  These gold medalists will be advancing to compete at the National Leadership and Skill Conference in June in Atlanta.

During the conference Opening Session, NOVA advisor Niki Gordon was recognized for being the Post-Secondary Representative to the SkillsUSA Virginia Foundation Board of Directors.

Congratulations, all!

#BoldlyNOVA #WeDoSTEM #SkillsUSA #SkillsUSAVA

NOVA Computer Science Students are SkillsUSA Winners!

Two of our NOVA Computer Science Students – Sesol Han (not pictured) and Arienbelle Aguila (with Skills USA Executive Director Chelle Travis) – finished 1st and 2nd in the SkillsUSA VA Leadership Conference in the post-secondary computer science competition!

(See Twitter and Facebook posts about the event).

Sesol Han was named State Champion and will compete virtually in the computer science division at SkillsUSA National Leadership Conference at the end of June.

In addition, NOVA student Da Nguyen Ngo participated in the SkillsUSA “Connect to My Future” Conference. These conferences allow NOVA students to showcase their skills in computer science, meet other students, and develop further skills that will help them succeed in the job market.

During the 2020-21 school year NOVA started a chapter of SkillsUSA thanks to the InNOVAtion Grant provided by the NOVA Foundation.  During this pilot year, three faculty members: Ryan Ammons (computer science), Kwabena “KK” Konadu (cybersecurity), and Babur Kohy (cybersecurity) were recruited as advisors.  These faculty members recruited 30 students (seven in computer science and 23 in cybersecurity) for the club.

NOVA SySTEMic plans to expand the SkillsUSA club at NOVA for the 2021-22 school year, including adding additive manufacturing program.

#CompSci #WeDoSTEM #BoldlyNOVA