Lovell student McKay wins gold at SkillsUSA Nationals

Recent Lovell graduate Janemarie McKay left her mark last week on the National Skills Leadership Conference stage in Atlanta, Georgia, after earning the gold medal in the T-shirt Design competition.

“Janie is the first student from Lovell SkillsUSA to ever medal at Nationals, which is a huge accomplishment,” said Jode Kraft, the advisor for the Lovell SkillsUSA chapter. 

McKay’s journey to the national podium started at the state level in Casper where she had to create a T-shirt design that represented the state of Wyoming and present the design to a panel of two judges. After taking home gold at the state level in April, McKay qualified to attend Nationals in Atlanta in June. 

As McKay advanced to the national level, her design and presentation went against 47 other state-level gold medalists with T-shirts representing their respective states. The panel included four qualified and experienced graphic designers to judge the competitors. 

“I felt confident presenting my design. I have done this competition on the state level for three years now, so I’ve already had a lot of practice,” McKay said. 

McKay’s winning T-shirt was also given to every Wyoming competitor attending the national convention to wear in representation of their state.

By the end of the week, McKay was surprised after being called backstage as a finalist during the closing awards ceremony on Saturday. After announcing third place and second place, McKay’s place was revealed first as she stood on top of the podium with her gold medal. 

“I was shocked. The only thing I really remembered to do was smile!” explained McKay. 

“She’s taken the skills she’s learned in our CTE courses and combined them with her many talents and work ethic to compete and be successful at the national level. I am very proud of Janie and all that she has accomplished,” said Kraft.

After wrapping up her week in Atlanta, McKay reflected on the week she had spent at Nationals.

“It was neat to meet a lot of new people from different states. I also really enjoyed the community service projects that we got to work on,” she said.

One community service project that McKay enjoyed working on was called “Sleep in Heavenly Peace,” where 360 SkillsUSA members built more than 120 different beds within four hours. The beds will go to kids in need of a safe place to stay.

“That was probably one of the best parts for me,” McKay said.

McKay had a few people she mentioned who had helped her get to her gold medal. 

“I would like to thank my mom. She taught me a lot of the graphic design skills needed for my competition,” McKay said. “Also Mrs. Kraft. She encouraged me to keep going and do the competition again my senior year.”

Georgia-Pacific also helped McKay, along with other Lovell students in past years, to compete at the national level. Their funding helps cover the costs and allow for a more affordable trip.