Perseverance is important for any team to overcome challenges, and it takes time, patience, and a lot of trial and error before you can perform your best. On March 22, 2019, the FIT Pre-Engineering program made their way to Fairmont for the weekend to attend the West Virginia State SkillsUSA Competition. The class competed in the Engineering Technology and Design category and came back with a first place win in the state championship.
Pre-Engineering Instructor Scott McDaniel said, “They most certainly exceeded my expectations. Last year we finished fifth in our category, and these guys went above and beyond detailing their project, along with the hard work and the time that they put into it.”
As Pre-Engineering Senior Braydon Foreman put it, “Our Quick Carrier project is a machine designed to aid in carrying heavy objects. The engineering process consisted of generating different concepts of how we could make this machine and develop our prototype. The process is to keep improving your project and to be able to fix any errors. After going through different materials, such as plastic and steel, we’re developing our final product, which is going to be made from aluminum.”
Students had been preparing for the event since December, and they agreed, the practice and hard work had paid off and made the competition very enjoyable.
Foreman said, “I think the aspect that I enjoyed the most is that they let us express our creativity; we don’t necessarily have to be locked into something- not just one thing, based on one concept. We have a wide range of what we can do.”
SkillsUSA specifies the importance of demonstrating communication skills and teamwork that will be used in the real world.
Pre-Engineering Senior Antonio Ovalle said, “SkillsUSA has prepared me for what I will experience when I get into the workforce.”
At the Fayette Institute of Technology, Simulated Workplace has helped students, especially in Pre-Engineering, learn how to deal with certain aspects of how a workplace functions.
Pre-Engineering Senior Zoë Walberg said, “I think [Simulated Workplace] has implemented itself our classroom and our projects when we go to the competitions- how we evaluate and collaborate. It really helped us think with learning processes, designs, and trying to figure things out.”