NEWTON — Catawba County Schools said May 8, 2026, that Challenger Early College High School students earned top honors at the 2026 SkillsUSA North Carolina Championships, bringing home multiple first-, second-, and third-place finishes in one of the state’s largest Career and Technical Education showcases.
The conference was April 15–17 in Greensboro, with more than 3,100 students from across the state competing in more than 140 hands-on technical, leadership, and career-focused events at the Greensboro Coliseum and Koury Convention Center, the district said.
Challenger students participate through the Catawba Valley Community College SkillsUSA chapter. The district said they showcased work across entrepreneurship, prepared speech, technical math, debate, medical math, public speaking, and community service.
During the competition, CCS said, students demonstrated technical knowledge, leadership, creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving while competing against peers from across the state. Events were judged by industry professionals and aligned to real-world workforce standards.
Several first-place finishers were listed to advance to the national SkillsUSA Championships this summer in Atlanta, alongside thousands of students from across the country. First-place winners named, with last names abbreviated as on the district page:
- Jahdai A. — T-Shirt Design (Secondary)
- Allyson S. — Prepared Speech (Post-Secondary)
- Christopher M. — Related Technical Math (Post-Secondary)
- Riley L., Saarah M., Dhyan P., and Xavier S. — Entrepreneurship (Post-Secondary)
- Ezekiel H., Jin M., Alyson S., Edwin G., Yestin P., and Brayden S. — Entrepreneurship (Post-Secondary)
Additional students earned second-, third-, fourth-, and fifth-place recognitions in Crime Scene Investigation, Chapter Display, Community Service, Debate, Extemporaneous Speaking, Medical Math, Job Skills Open, and Related Technical Math, the district said, without listing those names.
SkillsUSA is described as a national partnership of students, teachers, and industry leaders focused on preparing students for careers in technical, skilled, and service occupations. The organization serves more than 440,000 student and instructor members nationwide, CCS said.
The district congratulated Challenger students for representing their school, community, and Catawba County. The district office is listed at 2285 N. Anderson Ave., Newton, phone 828-464-8333.
The May 8 page does not list advisor names or a school-level medal count beyond the first-place names and the additional place range.
Official release from Catawba County Schools, May 8, 2026. https://www.catawbaschools.net/326715_2?articleID=62581
