Dixie Keck, center, of Surgoinsville Middle School, took top honors in the Job Skills A event at the SkillsUSA National Leadership Conference in Atlanta. Valeria Cabrera, left, was the silver medalist and Randi Upchego the bronze medalist.
From left, Azlee Keck, Dixie Keck and faculty advisor Kevin Hilton pose for a photo. ‘These students ... represented our community and our state with pride and professionalism,’ Hilton said.
Dixie Keck, center, of Surgoinsville Middle School, took top honors in the Job Skills A event at the SkillsUSA National Leadership Conference in Atlanta. Valeria Cabrera, left, was the silver medalist and Randi Upchego the bronze medalist.
Contributed by Kevin Hilton
From left, Azlee Keck, Dixie Keck and faculty advisor Kevin Hilton pose for a photo. ‘These students ... represented our community and our state with pride and professionalism,’ Hilton said.
Contributed by Kevin Hilton
[Left to right] John Keck, Azlee Keck, Sarah Keck, Mason Keck and Dixie Keck
Contributed by Kevin Hilton
Dixie on stage celebrating with the other medalist. [Left to right] Valeria Cabrera, Dixie Keck and Randi Upchego.
Contributed by Kevin Hilton
[Left to right] Richard McGinnis (Volunteer High School Advisor) and Kevin Hilton (Surgoinsville Middle School Advisor).
SURGOINSVILLE — A Surgoinsville Middle School student took first place while two other students from Hawkins County placed in the top five in their respective events at the SkillsUSA National Leadership Conference last month.
Dixie Keck, who is entering the eighth grade at SMS this year, won the gold medal in Job Skills A.
Her younger sister, Azlee, a rising sixth-grader at SMS, placed fourth in Job Skills Open.
Aedyn Mullins, who graduated from Volunteer High School in May, took fifth place in Action Skills after having placed second in previous competitions. He will be attending the University of Tennessee in the fall.
The conference took place in Atlanta from June 20 to June 24. SMS Assistant Principal Kevin Hilton acted as faculty advisor to the Keck sisters while VHS criminal justice instructor Richard McGinnis was Mullins’ advisor.
The event was the first one in which SMS participated.
Hilton said that although he had attended SkillsUSA competitions when he worked at VHS, Dixie’s accomplishment marked the first time that one of his students had won a gold medal.
“I was ecstatic,” Hilton said. “These students gave outstanding performances at this year’s competition and represented our community and our state with pride and professionalism.”
Dixie and Azlee’s parents, John and Sarah Keck, said they have seen the benefits of the SkillsUSA competitions in their daughters’ lives.
“We were very impressed by the students in the Skills USA organization,” John and Sarah said. “We can see the benefits of communication and leadership through their examples. It was a great experience for our daughters and improved their confidence. We are just so very grateful for the opportunity set by Mr. Hilton and Surgoinsville Middle school.”
Hilton said he enjoyed seeing the girls “experience new things and network with other students from across the nation.”
All the Hawkins County students who competed at the national level won first place in the state event in April of this year.
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