Madison College students recently participated in the 58th annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. Eleven students from the college competed in nine different categories, facing off against 6,880 participants from various educational levels across 114 competitions.
Auto Collision student Jeremy Radke secured a bronze medal in Automotive Refinishing Technology and will represent the USA at the WorldSkills competition in Shanghai, China, in 2026. His advisor is Aaron Stroot.
Baking & Decorative Arts student Aric Anderson was the first post-secondary student from Wisconsin to compete nationally in Baking & Pastry Arts, achieving 15th place under advisor Suzanne Daly.
Cosmetology student Gray Buchanan placed ninth nationwide in his field with guidance from advisor Melissa Brainerd.
Diesel student Ben Strupp won a silver medal as second best nationally in Diesel Equipment Technology and will also compete at WorldSkills 2026. Aron Kershaw serves as his advisor.
Mechanical Design student Emma Schwantes earned a silver medal for Pin Design and served as SkillsUSA-WI State Vice President during leverage training and meetings. Her advisor is Jon Helt.
Culinary Arts student Javier Sanchez achieved eighth place nationally while competing against top culinary schools like the Culinary Institute of America. Irene Pawlisch is his advisor.
Automotive Technology student Adalie Balster finished twelfth in Extemporaneous Speaking and represented SkillsUSA-WI at various events. Craig Lathrop advises her.
Mechanical Design student Broderick Miller took thirteenth place in Technical Drafting under Jon Helt’s advisement.
Metal Fabrication students Nick Acierno, Luke Gratz, and Logan Hardyman earned bronze medals in Welding Fabrication.
This group was the first to bring back medals for SkillsUSA Wisconsin College Post-secondary (C/PS) with advisors Jon Christian and Al Weishoff overseeing their efforts. Graphic design student Dani Casperson participated actively in business meetings and helped elect new officers with advice from Aron Kershaw.
The team made history by achieving higher placements than previous Wisconsin C/PS participants, whose best finish had been fourth place.
