Last weekend Perry’s graphic design program went to the Skills USA regionals competition and conquered the other competitors with one gold and one bronze medal winner in the job interview competition. Along with three of her fellow classmates placing top ten in the advertisement part of the competition. The top ten placing students now have the opportunity to compete in the state championships in April. The Pumas exceeded expectations and knocked it out of the park with amazing graphic design skills and finessed the first place spot.

Caryn Butler is the CTE and graphic design teacher at Perry High School and took the team to regionals. “We went to regionals this week and some students competed in advertisement which goes along with Perry’s graphic design program,” states Butler.

Skills USA is a partnership of students, teachers, and the industry to strengthen America’s workforce. Skills USA is the host of this graphic design competition.

Butler said, “Skills USA is a student organization that works with teachers and the industry to make sure that students are ready for work after high school.” The company not only supports America’s workforce but also helps students succeed in and out of the classroom.

  Junior Nicole White is one of the three students who placed top 10 in the advertisement competition. White says,“You are given three and a half hours to create a logo for a company.” White also said that in the hours you have to do what  the professionals are spending anywhere from days to weeks doing. These students have a topic or brand that the take and put there own twist on to advertise and sell the item. The product can range anywhere from a trash bag to a car. Each ad is completely made from scratch. “If you start the competition off nervous you spend the rest of the time stressing,” explained White. Three and a half hours seems like a lot of time until you get to the last few minutes and your only 50% done.

Senior Michael Chuong explains, “We were given a job from a dentist company and we had to make a mailer for them.” Chuong is another one of the three Pumas who placed top ten in the advertisement round of the tournament.

The three kids were competing against their friends and teammates, but that didn’t stop the Pumas from competing at the top of their game.