Rockdale Career Academy took home medals of all colors at this year’s SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference, held March 21-23, and will send nine competitors to the national level in Kansas City this summer. 

Among all the medals, Broadcast/Video Production teacher James Dinsmoor was awarded the highest SkillsUSA advisor honor – Advisor of the Year. Former students and RCA SkillsUSA alumni Amanda Moreno, Camryn Bradley, Raven Morris, Shavonn Bennette, and Cory James presented him the award on stage along with a speech from now-retired SkillsUSA Georgia state president Karley Wilson.

Competitors in the Broadcast News Production (Matison Lakstigala, Erin Sirmans, Tierra Woods, Karley Wilson), Digital Cinema Production (Scott Bellanger, Kenneth Spencer), Audio/Radio Production (Aaron Long, Spencer Kelly), and Pin Design (Jasmine Davis) categories received gold medals for their hard work and will continue the RCA SkillsUSA legacy of excellence. 

Johna Hall also received a bronze medal for a competition RCA hasn’t entered before, Early Childhood Education. 

Tactical Team (Brandon Oglesby, William Treadwell, Nick Brewer, Anfernee McMillan) also took home gold medals for winning first place in a state-only competition. 

Other state-only competitions that placed are Chapter Recruitment Video Production (Alex Smith, Karley Wilson, Matison Lakstigala), Business/Industry Video Production (Tierra Woods, Erin Sirmans) and SkillsUSA Georgia Commercial (Kenneth Spencer, Scott Bellanger). RCA also competed in categories such as Television/Video Production, Criminal Justice, Commercial Baking, Culinary Arts, Restaurant Service, Promotional Bulletin Board, Promotional Graphic, and SkillsUSA Georgia Pin Design, most of which RCA has not competed in before.

RCA will be heading to the SkillsUSA National Skills and Leadership Conference on June 24-28 and will be taking their second largest group ever.