(Clarksdale, Mississippi) — Coahoma Community College Career and Technical Education students earned multiple medals at the 2026 SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference in Jackson and Canton, Mississippi, qualifying several for national competition.
Coahoma Community College Career and Technical Education students competed in more than 35 events during the statewide conference, held throughout late February and early April, demonstrating industry aligned technical and leadership skills under timed, hands on conditions.
“This achievement reflects the skill, discipline and preparation of our students as they compete at the highest level,” said Dr. Larry Webster, dean of Career and Technical Education. “Their performance continues to demonstrate the strength of Coahoma’s workforce training programs.”
The Automotive Refinishing competition was held at the Nissan North America plant in Canton, where Quincy Wortham, a career and technical student from Clarksdale, Miss., earned a gold medal.
Additional competitions, including carpentry, team works, cabinetmaking and residential electrical wiring, were held March 31 through April 1 at the Mississippi Trade Mart Center in Jackson. The Teamworks group, Andre Gardner, a career and technical student from Robinsonville, Miss., Yanya Washington, a career and technical student from Lambert, Miss., Joshua Wilson, a career and technical student from Cleveland, Miss., and John Thompson, a career and technical student from Cleveland, Miss., earned gold.
Jaylin Troupe, a career and technical student from Clarksdale, Miss., earned gold in carpentry, while Jacob Robinson, a career and technical student from Memphis, Tenn., earned silver in residential electrical wiring.
This year marked several firsts for Coahoma Community College’s Career and Technical Education division. Robinson became the first student to compete in residential electrical wiring at the state level, earning silver in his first competition.
Washington became the first female carpentry student from the college to compete at the state level and contributed to a first place Teamworks finish while competing with a preexisting foot injury.
Troupe’s gold medal performance secured advancement to the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, marking his first national appearance. In addition, instructors Carlos Pelaez, carpentry, and Etavious Johnson, collision repair, will send students to national competition for the second consecutive year.
During the April 2 awards ceremony at the Hilton in Jackson, all participants received certificates from the Mississippi Community College Board for completing both the SkillsUSA Professional Development Test and SkillsUSA Skills Test.
All gold medalists will advance to the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, scheduled for June 1 through June 5 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
SkillsUSA is a national workforce development organization focused on preparing students for careers through technical training, leadership development and professional skills.
For more information, visit www.skillsusa.org or contact SkillsUSA advisor Sheila Sanders at extension 4192 or Dr. Larry Webster, dean of Career and Technical Education, at extension 4220.
Boilerplate
Founded in 1949, Coahoma Community College is a public, comprehensive, historically Black community college serving the heart of the Mississippi Delta. Coahoma offers Associate of Arts degrees, Associate of Applied Science degrees, and specialized certificates across dozens of diverse academic and career pathways. Located on a 99-acre campus in Clarksdale, Mississippi, the College is celebrating 77 years of academic excellence. In addition to its affordable tuition and generous scholarship opportunities, Coahoma has earned widespread recognition in nursing and health sciences, career technical education, and university transfer programs. Outside of the classroom, students are involved in competitive NJCAA athletics as well as a variety of organizations and clubs, including student government, the celebrated college choir, and the renowned Marching Maroon Typhoon Band.