Overview:

Dallas College students won a total of 18 medals at the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta. Minh Kieu, a recent graduate with an associate degree in digital art and design, took home gold in advertising design. Other notable winners include a group of students who earned gold in Chapter Display and a student who won bronze in Restaurant Service. The college's CTE programs are in high demand, with 7.4 million job openings in April 2025, including 596,000 in Texas alone.

DALLAS – Dallas College students earned a total of 18 medals at the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference, held June 23-27 in Atlanta. Forty-six students represented the college after qualifying by winning gold at the state level earlier this year. 

“These outcomes reflect the powerful, real-world impact of SkillsUSA and the vital role of career and technical education (CTE) at Dallas College,” said Dr. Maria Boccalandro, dean of special academic programs at Dallas College.  

The U.S. Department of Labor reported 7.4 million job openings in April 2025, including more than 596,000 in Texas alone. With CTE careers in high demand, opportunities for Dallas College students continue to grow—underscoring the relevance and necessity of CTE in driving economic development. 

Dallas College SkillsUSA advisor Ayaz Ismail with gold medalist Minh Kieu.

Among the top winners was Minh Kieu, a recent graduate with an associate degree in digital art and design. Kieu took home gold in advertising design, where he was challenged to create six deliverables, including a logo, within six hours. One judge, a comic book publisher, was so impressed with his work that he expressed interest in a future collaboration. 

“I’m grateful that Dallas College provided me the opportunity to participate in SkillsUSA and network with likeminded people,” Kieu said. “It taught me a lot and gave me the confidence to launch my career.” 

Dallas College medalists at the 2025 SkillsUSA national competition 

Gold 

  • Minh Kieu – Advertising Design 
  • Khai Huynh, Moise Steeve, Saho Zabzi and Mohammed Khan – Chapter Display  
  • Caleb Giddings and Harrison Nguyen – Community Action Project 

Silver 

  • Brook Tilahun, Jason Tejeda, Ryan Lee, Noor AlRubaye and Kent Ho – Chapter Business Procedure  
  • Norma Salinas – “Facilithon” Leadership in Facility Management 

Bronze 

  • Courtney Chaney, Eboni Johnson, Ariana Ross and Morgan Deanna Barnes – Entrepreneurship 
  • Rosemary Pate – Restaurant Service 

“Over the past four years, since the SkillsUSA program has been under my leadership, our students have consistently excelled on the national stage, demonstrating exceptional talent, professionalism, and career readiness,” said Boccalandro. “Some students received job offers on the spot from industry judges, highlighting the high quality of our training programs and the workforce preparedness of our students. Others earned full-ride scholarships to four-year universities, while many were awarded professional tools, equipment and resources from industry sponsors in recognition of their skills and potential.”