Northland Pioneer College (NPC), students studying various career and technical education fields won twenty medals during the SkillsUSA Arizona state competition held April 7 and 8, 2026, in Phoenix. Nine students took home first-place gold medals and will advance to the national championship competition in Atlanta, GA., June 1 to 5.
In special recognition of exemplary leadership and performance, NPC Holbrook automotive student Aiden Warner was elected to the Secondary State Officer Team. State officers go through intense leadership training and serve as ambassadors at SkillsUSA leadership events throughout the country.
Under the guidance of NPC Faculty in Welding, Randy Hoskins, the welding group from the Show Low campus earned a slew of gold medals. Members of the secondary welding fabrication team, high school students Easton Hatch, Cohen Hudson, and David Rawlings, will join NPC welding sculpture student Madison Ivins at the national championship after finishing in first place.
Welding students from NPC’s St. Johns and Holbrook locations also contributed to the medal count. Desmond Brown of St. Johns earned a silver in welding sculpture. Holbrook welding post-secondary student John Harris also took second place in welding.
NPC Holbrook Construction Faculty Jorge Meza had two students earn a spot at the top of the podium. Danielle John took the gold in masonry, and Benjamin Couchman earned a gold in construction. Couchman also won a bronze medal in the job interview category.
Automotive students from NPC’s Show Low campus contributed to the medal count. In the post-secondary competition, Ari Bloomstone took home a gold in automotive service technology. Aaron O’Laughlin earned a bronze in power equipment technology.
NPC cosmetology students earned a total of eight medals, the most of any of the skill categories.
The team from the Winslow campus earned the majority. Post-secondary student Kyley Attakai took home a gold in job skill demonstration and a bronze in general cosmetology. Fellow post-secondary student Emily Derrick earned the silver in both cosmetology and job interview. Chloe Jacobs rounded out the Winslow medalists with a bronze in the job skills demonstration.
Cosmetology students from NPC’s St. Johns location added two medals to the count. Post-secondary student Hanna Cluff took the gold in job interview, and fellow student Brycelynn Kidwell took the silver in the job skills demonstration. NPC Show Low post-secondary student Cheyanne Smith earned a silver in the job skills demonstration.
For the firefighting competition, John Calderon rounded out NPC’s medalists with a silver.
A total of 55 NPC students attended and competed in the state competition, 16 post-secondary and 44 secondary competitors. They earned a spot on the state team earlier this spring by placing first and earning gold medals in regional competitive events.
Samuel Romine, automotive program faculty member and coordinator of SkillsUSA activities for NPC, said the outstanding results at the state competition reflect the dedication and hard work of career and technical education students and their instructors. “Our faculty poured themselves into the preparation of their students, and our students accounted for themselves very well in Phoenix. They demonstrated that they will leave NPC ready to perform their skills exceedingly well and attract quality employment offers leading to successful careers.”
SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers, and industry partners working together to ensure the country has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA helps students excel by providing educational programs, events, and competitions that support career and technical education in our nation's classrooms.
