Atlanta, GA - South Georgia Technical College’s Kimberly Sadecky of Montezuma took third place and a bronze medal in the 2022 National SkillsUSA Job Interview competition in Atlanta recently. She is a criminal justice student in Teresa McCook’s program at South Georgia Technical College.
Sadecky and Jonathan Large of Marianna, FL, both captured gold medals at the State SkillsUSA competition earlier this year. As the best of the best in Georgia, Sadecky and Large earned the right to advance to the national competition against over 12,000 other top students. Sadecky competed in Job Interview and Large represented SGTC in the Aviation Maintenance competition.
Sarah Romanko of the University of Texas at Dallas took the Gold medal in the Job Interview event and Laura Franklin from Northeast State Community College was the Silver medal finalist ahead of Sadecky. In the Aviation Maintenance competition, Curtiss Gay of Penn College of Technology in Williamsport, PA; Kyle Wolner of the University of Alaska in Anchorage, AL, and Bryan Hunt of Jefferson Community & Technical College in Louisville, KY were the top three finishers.
SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA helps each student excel. They provide educational programs, events, and competitions that support career and technical education in the nation’s classrooms.
“South Georgia Technical College is very proud of both Kimberly Sadecky and Jonathan Large for the way they represented the college at the SkillsUSA national competition,” said SGTC President Dr. John Watford. “SkillsUSA showcases the best technical education students in the nation. Our students shined in that national spotlight. I would like to thank both of them as well as their instructors and advisors for working so many hours to help them get prepared for the national competition. I congratulate them on their success.”
Kimberly Sadecky was very appreciative of the opportunity to represent South Georgia Technical College at the SkillsUSA competition and she encouraged others to step out of their comfort zone and participate in the local, state, and national levels.
“This was an amazing experience,” said Sadecky after she returned from the national competition in Atlanta with a bronze medal. “It was a very eye-opening experience and the competition was very intense. But I am so appreciative of the opportunity to participate in something like this. It has had a tremendous impact on my life.”
Sadecky said that much of the credit for her success goes to her instructor Teresa McCook. “She encouraged me to participate and then she helped me select the competition category that she thought I would do well in. Then we went to work and I am very grateful for her guidance and support.”
In the Job Interview category, each student had to complete a job application and resume. Once that was completed the students were interview by a panel of judges. The students were judged on appearance, clothing, posture, and responses to questions asked by the panel. The students also had to take a Skills Standard Assessment test with over 50 questions that was worth 25 points of their grade.
“I believe the Skills test was the make or break point for a student to advance to the finals,” said Sadecky. “One of the questions posed by the panel was what type of job I saw myself in five or 10 years from now.” Her answer may have surprised the judges because she said, “I don’t see myself in a job. I see myself in a career five or 10 years from now. People don’t usually stay in just jobs for five or 10 years, they move up in their chosen career.”
Sadecky believes that the SkillsUSA experience has helped her grow personally as well as professionally. “The state competition was geared more toward traditional job interview skills but at the national level, it was more about work ethics and professional development.”
When asked about her experience at South Georgia Tech, Sadecky revealed that she would encourage others to step out of their comfort levels and look at coming or returning to college.
“I am a non-traditional college student because I already have a lot of life experience. But I could not have asked for a better place to get my education than South Georgia Technical College,” said Sadecky. I started last August and I will complete my Criminal Justice degree in a little over a year. During this past year, I was selected as a GOAL finalist, competed and won at the state and national SkillsUSA levels, was a Student of Excellence, member of the National Technical Honor Society, Student Ambassador and on the Orientation team. I would not change a thing.”
Sadecky says Georgia is an amazing state that supports education. “Students can attend a technical college at almost no cost and leave with a great career with no college debt. And we need technical college graduates to help bridge the workforce gap right here in Georgia.
“One of the speakers at the competition made a point that everyone competing was an entrepreneur. With the technical skills, they were demonstrating, they had the opportunity to become self-employed and successful. That is what technical education provides,” added Sadecky.
She also encouraged students to find their career passion and feed it. “There is so much that you can do and study at a technical college. If you are a artist, enrolled in auto collisions and learn how to do pin stripping and detailing on a car, try welding and be creative in metal, or sign up for drafting. The point is you can find your passion and also be able to make a good living.”
South Georgia Technical College offers students the “Complete College Experience” with on-campus housing and dining, nationally recognized academics, intercollegiate athletics, and student activities. The college is currently registering students for fall semester. In-person registration will be held on July 19th and August 17th. Classes start August 18th. Individuals wanting to jump start their career can apply and enroll in over 200 associate degree, diploma, or technical certificate of credit programs.
Contact the SGTC admissions office in Americus at 229-931-2394 or in Crisp County at 229-271-4040 for more information. Students can apply online at www.southgatech.edu. It is not too late. Take advantage of this opportunity to apply at South Georgia Technical College.