Skills USA held the 2023 State Championships for High School and Post Secondary competitors at the Pueblo Convention Center and Junior College Campus on April 3rd, 4th and 5th. This competition is for students working in the Careers and Trades programs. In order to compete at the state level, students had to finish 1st, 2nd, or 3rd at the regional level. Liberty High School's Automotive Technology students dominated the Regional Competition finishing 1st (Adrian Veghte - Liberty) and 2nd (Anthony Lujan – Pine Creek).
In the state championship last week, Adrian and Anthony competed in the "Maintenance and Light Repair" category. The event lasts for 6 hours and covers 12 different technical stations including: Electrical System Diagnosis, Brakes and Suspension, Transmission Components, Cooling and Heating Systems, Precision Measurement, Tire and Wheel Maintenance, Shop Safety, Vehicle Lifting, and concluded with Resume Writing and Job Interview skills. These tasks are published by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).
Adrian won 3rd place at the state level and received a $2,000 scholarship presented by the Universal Technical Institute where Adrian plans to attend after graduating from Liberty.