22 GISH Students Earn 13 Medals at State SkillsUSA; Principal Holley Receives Outstanding Leadership Honor
GRAND ISLAND (Neb.) — Career Technical Education (CTE) and Grand Island Senior High (GISH), the two are synonymous. That connection was on full display over the weekend as the Islanders competed at the Nebraska State SkillsUSA competition.
In many ways, State SkillsUSA was defined not just by an impressive turnout of student competitors, but, for Grand Island Senior High, by the impressive display of student performance.
The annual state competition brought over 2,000 student competitors from across Nebraska participating in 3,000 competitions. Making it all the more special for our GISH students, the state competition is hosted each year at Grand Island’s own Heartland Events Center and Fonner Park.
Nearly 50 GISH students competed this year continuing the Islanders’ tradition of strong representation at the State event. Overall, 22 students earned 13 medals across 14 categories. The annual showcase and well-earned hardware highlight the significance of GISH CTE programs and their role in fostering college, career, and community readiness.
SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit organization. Per the SkillsUSA Nebraska website, It is a partnership of students, teachers and industry representatives working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. Focusing on a mission committed to CTE, SkillsUSA empowers students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders, and responsible community members. SkillsUSA improves the quality of our nation’s future skilled workforce through the development of personal, workplace and technical skills grounded in academics.
Through the Academies of Grand Island Senior High, students have opportunities to gain work-based opportunities through a wide variety of CTE-focused pathways. Within the Academy of Medical Sciences & Education, the Academy of Engineering & Technology, and the Academy of Technical Sciences – hundreds of Islander students are empowered through Career & Technical Education.
Each year, the state championships celebrate student dedication to mastering their crafts and investigating future technical trade careers. Participants from all over Nebraska engage in a diverse array of technical categories, such as health science, architecture and construction, public safety, business management, and manufacturing. The competition also features events in arts, information technology, education, hospitality and tourism, leadership, audio/video technology, and STEM. This annual event serves to spotlight those who have spent the year honing their specialized skills.
The state championships showcase the best career and technical students in Nebraska. For GISH, emphasizing student participation in SkillsUSA fits like a wrench tightening a robot gear.
For the competing Islanders, the annual state competition is a source of pride both for the educators as much as the students. All of the shared effort culminated for one GISH Administrator as they, too, were honored with a prestigious honor.
Mr. D.W. Holley, GISH Principal of the Academy of Technical Sciences, was awarded with the Nebraska State SkillsUSA Outstanding Leadership Award. In recognition of his dedication to student success, the state award highlights his tireless commitment to expanding the reach of Career and Technical Education (CTE) both within GISH and across the entire state. By championing environments where technical skills and professional excellence thrive, Mr. Holley — alongside his GISH Educators — continue to empower the next generation of Nebraska’s skilled workforce.
Taking it all in, Mr. Holley saluted the students’ success and Senior High’s continued emphasis on CTE.
“I am very proud of how well our students performed at SkillsUSA.” Holley reflected, “Regardless, how they finished in their competitions, the students were outstanding representatives of Grand Island Senior High and the city of Grand Island. They continue to impress me and their instructors on how they approach the State SkillsUSA Competition as a showcase of their talents to state industry partners.”
Congratulations to the GISH 2026 SkillsUSA State Medalists!
State Champions:
Emergency Medical Technician - Max Mendez and Chances Colburn
Additive Manufacturing - Daniela Cortes and Abrahma Cardoza
Career and Technical Educator - Isabel Corona Rodriguez
CNC 2 Axis Turning Programmer - Jerry Vazquez
Health knowledge Bowl - Max Mendez, Chances Colburn, Sumaya Omar, and Angie DeOrtega
State Runner-Ups (2nd Place):
Mobile Robotics Technology - David Diaz Hinojosa and Steven Castro
CNC 3 Axis milling Programmer - John Adams
Career Pathways-Industrial and Engineering Technology - Julieta Ortiz Gullien, Nicole Gonzalez, Natasha Chabikwa
Action Skills - Hunter Spanjer
Precision Machining - Piper Jeffers
Architectural Blueprint Reading - Vanessa Lazalde
Third Place:
Commercial sUAS Drone - Zurisdai Gomez Cotom and Jonny Matul
Automated Manufacturing Technology - Ethan Erb, Ethan Wichman, and Holden Wemhoff