By Mary Owen
Several Stayton High School students took honors at the recent LBCC High School Industrial Skills contest.
About 220 students from 21 Oregon high schools, including SHS, competed in the annual contest held March 3 at Linn-Benton Community College in Albany.
“Every year, our students look forward to going there,” said Dale Sunderman, who teaches machining, welding and automated machining at SHS.
“The competition is for juniors and seniors. They practice every week for this competition.”
Students competed in contests for computer-aided drafting and design (CADD), machine tool milling and turning, and several types of welding technology.
Winners were announced at an awards ceremony following the competition.
Placing for SHS were: Casey Waldbridge, first place, and Shane McCarty, second place in Machine Tool Technology-Turning; Waldbridge, second place, Machine Tool Technology-Milling; and Tyler Humphreys, first place, Welding Technology-Novice Gas Metal Arc Welding.
“Casey and Shane practiced a lot,” Sunderman said. “Tyler wants to do something in fabrication. I was really thrilled when he won as a novice as there were a lot of students who competed.”
Pleased with the results, Sunderman said the competition stretches his students, including those who are more interested in trades than academics.
“Although they go to compete, the students also get to see LBCC and meet the instructors,” he said. “They realize that college offers many things. In trade-school-type courses, students who don’t think they can cut it in college see they can succeed.”
The competition fosters confidence and reaffirms that hard work yields benefits, Sunderman added.
“Most of the guys I took are already practicing for next year,” he said. “It’s all about students finding options for making a living in trades. I have students who are hands-on types of students. That’s their niche. That’s where they’ll be successful.
“Students who win at the state level can go on to national competition,” he added. “It’s all about drive and how much effort they put into it.”
Sunderman’s students are already gearing up for the Skills USA Oregon Spring Conference Competition, April 15-16 at Camp Withycombe in Clackamas.
