HARV and Welding Students Bring Home Accolades from Competition

May 4, 2022

May 4, 2022 – Santa Fe College Heating, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration and Ventilation (HARV) and Welding students competed in the Florida State SkillsUSA Competition in Jacksonville last month. The statewide competition is part of the overall SkillsUSA Championships, which are career competition events showcasing the best career and technical education students in the nation. SkillsUSA has 350,000 students across the nation in over 100 career areas.

SF HVAC students Robert Holoboff and Wei Yuan Guo competed well in their competition, with Holoboff winning the gold medal and Yuan Guo taking the silver. "I congratulate both students for the commitment they exhibit as they work to accomplish their future dreams through education," SF Assistant Professor, Jorge Tormes, who prepared the students for the competition said. "Our students' success in this competition has qualified our team to compete in the SkillsUSA National Competition. Congratulations guys and keep up the good work. We wish you the best at Nationals!"

August Herman, in the college's Advanced Welding program competed in the SkillsUSA state welding competition and was coached and supported by Welding Assistant Professor, Jennifer Skyles. August placed first in regionals, which qualified him for the State Competition where he placed third with a bronze medal.

Through an investment from business and industry partners of approximately $36 million, the National Championship event occupies a space equivalent to 31 football fields or 41 acres. In 2019, there were more than 6,500 contestants in 106 separate events. Nearly 2,000 judges and contest organizers from labor and management make the national event possible.

The students will now go on to the SkillsUSA National Competition June 20-24, 2022, in Atlanta, Georgia. The WorldSkills Competition will be held in Shanghai, China in October.