06/23/2026
We are so proud of our entire balloon team winning national medals at SkillsUSA We brought home medals of every color!!! Hooray for SkillsUSA North Carolina!!!
Five Edgecombe Community College students returned home as national champions after competing in the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC), held June 1–5 in Atlanta, Ga. Three students earned Gold Medals in the Career Pathways Showcase–Industrial and Engineering Technology. Isabella De Leon, Daniella Ponce and Ajeda Thomas claimed the Gold.
Alfredo Hernandez-Garcia won Silver in Principles of Engineering–Postsecondary, and Jesus Cabrera-Hernandez earned Bronze in Principles of Engineering–Secondary.
SkillsUSA is a premier showcase of career and technical education, drawing more than 19,000 students, advisors and industry leaders each year. ECC’s medalists received national recognition for excellence, and all five are members of critECCly stable, the college’s high-altitude balloon team. They were accompanied by advisors Rebecca Stamilio Ehret, Dr. Johnica Ellis Kiser and Trey Cherry, who emphasized the personal, academic and workplace skills students gain through the rigorous competition.
“Our national medalists completed this work outside of their regular coursework, putting in long hours alongside their faculty advisors to achieve at this level,” said Cherry, who also serves as chair of Information Technology Studies.
The national conference follows the SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference, held April 15–17 in Greensboro. This year marked ECC’s largest participation, with 65 students competing and bringing home 19 medals, including four gold, four silver, three bronze, plus four fourth-place and four fifth-place finishes. Events showcased excellence in engineering, welding, cosmetology, carpentry and other technical fields.
“We are extremely proud of the medals our students earned this year,” Cherry said. “These results speak volumes about the extra time and effort that these students and their advisors put into preparing for competition.”
