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Lake Charles Today
By the People, for the People
SOWELA Students Shine at SkillsUSA Conference
Technical college earns 23 medals, including 10 golds, at annual skills competition
Mar. 31, 2026 at 4:22pm
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SOWELA's technical education programs shine at the annual SkillsUSA competition, showcasing the breadth of skills and creativity among its students.Lake Charles TodaySOWELA Technical Community College students recently attended the SkillsUSA State Conference and delivered an outstanding performance, earning 23 medals across 14 different contests. The team's success included 10 gold, 10 silver, and 3 bronze medals, highlighting the strength and versatility of the college's workforce and technical training programs.
Why it matters
The SkillsUSA competition provides a national platform for technical and vocational students to showcase their skills and expertise. SOWELA's strong showing at the state level demonstrates the quality of its career-focused education and prepares its gold medalists to represent Louisiana at the upcoming national competition in Atlanta.
The details
SOWELA's gold medalists include students in Advertising Design, Screen Printing, Audio Radio, Digital Cinema, Photography, Video Production, Technical Drafting, Architectural Drafting, Commercial Baking, and Electrical Construction Wiring. The college's silver and bronze medalists also excelled across a wide range of technical and creative disciplines.
- The SkillsUSA State Conference took place in March 2026.
- SOWELA's gold medalists will advance to the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, Georgia later this summer.
The players
SOWELA Technical Community College
A public two-year technical college located in Lake Charles, Louisiana that offers career-focused education and training programs.
SkillsUSA
A national nonprofit organization that partners with students, instructors and industry to ensure America has a skilled workforce. It organizes an annual skills competition for career and technical education students.
What they’re saying
“This year was especially meaningful. We had students place in the top three across all 14 contests we competed in, showing the continued strength and consistency of SOWELA's programs. We also celebrated our first-ever gold medal wins in Digital Cinema and Electrical Construction Wiring, making this an especially exciting year for SOWELA.”
— Darrell Buck, Digital Arts Instructor
“Now, our gold medalists will continue their journey to Nationals in Atlanta, and I am confident they will represent SOWELA with pride on the national stage.”
— Darrell Buck, Digital Arts Instructor
What’s next
SOWELA's gold medal winners will advance to the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, Georgia later this summer to represent Louisiana.
The takeaway
SOWELA's strong performance at the SkillsUSA State Conference highlights the college's commitment to providing high-quality technical and vocational education. The breadth of its medal-winning students across diverse disciplines demonstrates the versatility and real-world relevance of SOWELA's career-focused programs.
