POLYTECH High School is excited to announce that two students have placed in the top three
at the 2018 SkillsUSA National Championships in Louisville, KY. This annual event brings
together over 6,500 first place winners in more than 100 Career and Technical Skill events from
all 50 states. Robert Bell received the Bronze medal (3rd place) in the Internetworking
competition and Ashish D’Souza received the Gold medal (1st place) in Computer
Programming. Both students are currently juniors at POLYTECH High School and hope to
return to SkillsUSA continue to place in the top students among the nation in 2019. Shown in
the picture are Ashish D’Souza (left), instructor Mr. Dennis Haley (middle), and Robert Bell
(right). Job Ready, Day One!
- Ashish D’Souza – What does meaning a goal medal at SkillsUSA mean to you?
Winning the gold medal at the National SkillsUSA Computer Programming championship was
the most exciting and rewarding moment in my high school career. I started competing in the
computer programming competition in my freshman year as a last-minute replacement. I was
passionate about computer programming, and that led me to win the gold medal in Delaware
SkillsUSA for three years in a row. My passion alone, however, was not going to win me a
medal at the national conference; I knew I would need to widen my skills and practice. Thus, I
talked to various computer science professors to try and improve my abilities, and even learned
ways to program more efficiently. Finally, winning the gold medal will greatly help me on my
path towards a career in computer science.
- Robert Bell – What does winning third place in Internetworking mean to you?
SkillsUSA was an amazing experience for me. Just having the opportunity to meet people from
all over the nation was unique in and of itself. The competition was challenging. I’m grateful to
Polytech and Mr. Haley for the education I have received so far that prepared me so well. I had
hoped to be in the top 20, so I was excited to see my name for the Bronze medal on the big
screen! I also received many tools, an Amazon 7 tablet, Cisco equipment, and a $500
scholarship! The added fun of going to Kentucky Kingdom was the perfect way to end a week
full of new and fun things. I look forward to participating in next year’s competition. ~Bob Bell, 16
yrs old, entering senior year.
