Crowder Students Headed to National Skills USA Competition

Neosho, MO – Crowder College students in high school (secondary) and college (post) programs competed in the state Skills USA competition with several scoring gold and qualifying for the national conference to be held June 24-28, in Atlanta.

The students earning gold who are competing include:

Mechatronics Secondary:

Calvin Zuniga – Crowder

Hasler Lopez – McDonald County HS

Mechatronics – Post:

Christopher Alexander – Joplin

Coy Harper – Exeter

Medical Terminology – Secondary:

Allyson Fry – McDonald County HS

Welding Fabrication Team – Post:

Austin Popovits – Branson

Tyler Kinsley – Carl Junction

Blake Irwin – Sarcoxie

The following students participated in the state competition. Some contests do not have a national competition, but students earned gold scores at the state level. Those students include:

Criminal Justice Quiz Bowl: Secondary

Abigail Alvarez-Perez (Neosho HS) Gold

Sarai Alvarez-Perez (Neosho HS) Gold

Alex Henry (Neosho HS) Gold
Kohlman Wilson (Seneca HS) Gold

Wyatt Crum (Seneca HS) Gold

Diesel Equipment Tech Information – Post

Levi Leavitt (Pierce City) Gold

Nicholas Stephens (Seneca) Gold

Bryant Arias (Carthage) Silver

Mechatronics – Post

Jonathon Bopp – (Neosho) Silver

Jairo Lara (Duenweg) Silver

Mobile Electronics Installation – Post

Chris Ibarra (Monett) Silver

Diesel Equipment Tech Information – Secondary

Alex Jones (McDonald County HS) – Silver

Power Equipment Technology – Post

Ethan Moore (Purdy) – Silver

Welding Technical Information – Post

Austin Popovits (Branson) – silver

Computer Networking Tech Information – Secondary

Kaleb Shore (Neosho HS) – Silver

Criminal Justice – Secondary

Kohlman Wilson (Seneca HS) – Silver

Career & Technical Education Center (CTEC): Crowder College serves the five area school districts and homeschool students in Diamond, East Newton, McDonald County, Neosho, and Seneca by providing technical education courses while they are in high school. The students are able to continue their education or enter the workforce with credentials in a variety of fields. For more information go to: CTEC Programs – Crowder College

SkillsUSA information: SkillsUSA is the #1 workforce development organization for students. We empower students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders and responsible community members.

Representing nearly 400,000 career and technical education students and teachers.

Neosho, MO – Crowder College commencement ceremonies were held this past weekend with many students, families, and friends in attendance.

Each department has the opportunity to name outstanding graduates in their program.

Outstanding graduates for spring 2024 are:

• Advanced Manufacturing – Joshua Brink (Mulberry, KS)
• Art & Design – Whitney Yelverton (Joplin)
• Automotive – Malachi Baker (Pea Ridge, AR)
• Biology – Hannah Nguyen (Neosho)
• Business Administration – Payten Richardson (Mt. Vernon); Mariah Robinson (Clever)
• Cassville Center – Isaac Hadlow (Cassville)
• Computer Aided Drafting – Cayden Owens (Seneca)
• Computer Network Support – Daniel Kramar (Webb City)
• Construction – Kurt Landon (Lebanon)
• Criminal Justice – Oscar Granados (Neosho)
• Diesel Technology – Nicholas Stephens (Seneca)
• James T. Payne (Athletic department):
  • Martyna Ademczewska (Zgorzelec, Poland) (Basketball)
  • Claire Affolter (Rolla) (Basketball)
  • Brock Bearden (Texarkana, TX) (Baseball)
  • Taniya Corley (Rolla) (Basketball)
  • Dixie Gruber (Windyville) (Softball)
  • Jaxon McAuliff (Jenks, OK) (Baseball)
  • Mariah “Riah” Robinson (Clever) (Basketball)
• McDonald County Center – John Daigle (Loma Linda)
• Nevada Center – Madison Murphy (Nevada)
• Nursing (McDonald County) – Mario Gonzalez (Springdale, AR); Daniel Smith (Elkins, AR)
  • James B. Tatum – Alivia Earp (Rogers, AR)
  • James T. Payne – Lynsie Waldrop (Decatur, AR)
  • Vicki Jo Babbitt – Louise Barrett (Joplin)
• Nursing (Nevada) – Holly Hutcherson (Rich Hill)
  • James T. Payne – Samantha Scott (Nevada), Jayme Tyndall (Oronogo)
  • Representative RN – Luke Snavely (Joplin)
  • PN Academic Excellence – Courtney Robinson (Ft. Scott, KS)
  • PN Spirit of Nursing – Amanda Smith (Amoret)
  • PN Student of the Semester – Brandy Gruenhagen (Nevada) (Spring 2024); Haleigh Cheyanne Miller (Pleasanton, KS) (Fall 2023)
• Pre-Engineering – Levi Cooper (Pierce City)
• Surgical Technology – Trey Evans (Lamar)
• Teaching – Taniya Corley (Rolla), Emma Scroggins (Neosho)
• Theatre – Kaitlyn McCullough (Monett)
• Welding – Tyler Knisley (Carl Junction)

Neosho, MO – Crowder College Future Business Leaders of America qualified for the National competition to be held June 24-27 in Orlando, FL. Thanks to generous donations from Community Bank and Trust, Leggett and Platt, and TAMKO, the students will be able to attend with less out-of-pocket expenses.

CBT provided a $3,300 donation; Leggett & Platt-$2,188, and TAMKO-$500 to offset expenses for the trip. The following students have qualified to compete at the national level:

• Shawn Boberg (Joplin)
• Grant Preddy (Cassville)
• Raven Vogelpohl (Fairview)
• Jenna Ehrhardt (Neosho)
• Brayden Daniel (Fairview)

“We just want to say thank you to these awesome companies,” stated Dr. Scott Donaldson, FBLA co-sponsor. ”By supporting our Crowder business students, they have shown exactly how important higher education is to our community”.

Crowder FBLA is co-sponsored by instructors Dr. Greg Murdock and Dr. Scott Donaldson.

Future Business Leaders of America, Inc., the premier student business organization, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) education association with a quarter million members and advisers in over 6,500 active middle school, high school, and college chapters worldwide. FBLA’s mission is to inspire and prepare students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences. The association is headquartered in Reston, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. For more information, visit https://www.fbla.org/.

Photo (L-R): Donaldson, Raven Vogelpohl, Grant Preddy, JP Phillips, CBT Manager Southtown, and Micha Fletcher, CBT Assistant Manager Southtown