SkillsUSA state standouts: Marshall students win big in Corpus Christi
Ryan Dunn (right) received a gold medal in Technical Drafting at the recent 2026 SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary Leadership and Skills Conference in Corpus Christi. (Photo courtesy of TSTC.)
(MARSHALL, Texas) – Students from Texas State Technical College’s Marshall campus brought home five medals from the recent 2026 SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary Leadership and Skills Conference in Corpus Christi.
“We’re all incredibly proud of our students and their faculty mentors,” said Bart Day, provost of the Marshall campus. “The competition alone is a great experience for the team and bringing home a medal at any level is a terrific accomplishment.”
The students who won gold medals are eligible to compete in the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, scheduled for June 1-5 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Ryan Dunn and Tarren Harvey, who both entered the competition in 2025, took home gold medals this year.
Since the 2025 competition, Dunn progressed from ninth to first place in the Technical Drafting category. He said his confidence as a drafter has grown significantly over the past year, but he was still shocked when he was named the champion.
“It really helps me to know that I’m getting better at what I’m doing, and it really makes me excited for the future,” Dunn said. “I believed in the skills that TSTC taught me, and it paid off.”
Harvey was crowned the Architectural Drafting state champion for the second consecutive year. He said his instructors guided him through different drills and plans to prepare for the competition.
“It’s unbelievable that I’m heading back to nationals,” Harvey said. “I know what to expect now and I won’t be as nervous.”
Other medalists from the Marshall campus included:
– Architectural Drafting: Tamera Najera (silver).
– CNC 2-Axis Turning Programmer: Caleb Bush (silver) and Jacob Reese (bronze).
SkillsUSA is a professional organization focused on employability, leadership and technical skills that help college students pursue successful careers and be part of a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA has more than 100 specific contests at the state and national events in which students can compete, from 3D Visualization and Animation to Welding Sculpture.
Registration for the summer and fall semesters at TSTC is underway. For more information about TSTC, go to tstc.edu.
About TSTC
With locations across the state, Texas State Technical College helps to strengthen the Texas workforce with highly skilled, technically competent graduates. Operating on a unique funding model based on student employment outcomes, the college celebrated 60 years of service to the state of Texas in 2025. For more information, visit tstc.edu.