The most in recent memory, 11 Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center students placed in the Missouri SkillsUSA contest held Thursday through Saturday, April 5-7, at the State Technical College of Missouri in Linn.

 

Out of 30 participants who advanced from the district to state level – Luke Cook, Hailey Garrett, Jeramiah Gracia, Nick Loyd, Lara Pierce, Nickalas Richards, Lane White and Levi White have qualified to vie in the national competition June 25-29 in Louisville, Ky.

 

In addition, the aforementioned students each received $1,000-2,000 scholarships to Linn College, along with Brooke Francisco, Michaelyn Hatton and Tara Hutchinson, who also earned top placement.

 

“This is an exceptional, well-balanced group of kids that are here to learn,” said TCC building trades instructor Jody Cochran, SkillsUSA senior advisor. “To make it to state or nationals speaks for our school system and lets people know what kind of education they can get out here.”

 

State events that TCC students excelled in included barbering, carpentry technical information, cosmetology, cosmetology tech info, culinary arts, esthetics, nurse assisting, T-shirt design and team works. More than 3,000 students, educators and industry officials were in attendance.

 

The students going on to participate this summer plan to fundraise to offset uniform, registration and travel costs. Cochran referred to the opportunity as “life changing,” explaining that industry officials may be in attendance to recruit students into the workforce.

 

“When you’re getting national recognition—the top of the top—there are trade people set up wanting to hire these students,” Cochran said. “There are folks retiring and lots of spots opening, and opportunities to make good money and have a good job for a long time.”

 

More than 1,000 trade associations and labor unions actively support SkillsUSA through financial aid, in-kind contributions and involvement of their people in activities, according to a press release from the national organization.

 

Pictured: TCC students who medaled at the Missouri SkillsUSA competition were (front row from left) Jeramiah Gracia, Brooke Francisco and Hailey Garrett; (second row) Lara Pierce and Nickalas Richards; (third row, left to right) Tara Hutchinson, Michaelyn Hatton and Levi White; and (back row) Nick Loyd, Lane White and Luke Cook.

Photo and article submitted by Tim Krakowiak, Communications/Marketing Director, Poplar Bluff R-I School District

Poplar Bluff R-I has raised over $1 million for St. Jude since the 1988/89 academic year when the school system first became involved in the Math-A-Thon fundraiser.

 

While several individual schools across the country have surpassed Poplar Bluff’s $45,000 contribution this year, R-I is the only participant that has contributed on a district-wide basis for 30 years consistently, according to a representative from the children’s research hospital.

 

“We thank the Poplar Bluff School District for allowing the students to participate in the St. Jude Math-A-Thon each year, continuing to help advance the mission of the hospital of finding cures and saving children,” stated Ann Culpepper of St. Jude’s Enterprise Contact Center.

 

The district’s participation started at O’Neal Elementary with retired principal Lorenzo Sandlin, who unfortunately knew firsthand of the comfort the medical facility provides when a child tragically is inflicted with the diabolical disease. From the 1994/95 school year to 1998/99, Eugene Field got involved, then Lake Road, Junior High, Oak Grove and lastly the Middle School.

 

While Math-A-Thon is a K-8 fundraiser, the entire district contributes in some capacity, including fun books, skate nights, dress-down days and much more. Sandlin’s coordinating successor, Oak Grove Principal Jenifer Richardson, noted that the community plays a large part too, donating portions of proceeds if not 100 percent during business nights.

 

“I knew it meant a lot to Lorenzo to see the program continue to succeed,” explained Richardson with regard to picking up where Sandlin left off in 2013. “Our district has a special tie to [St. Jude] because we have had children receive health care there. You never know when one of our own children will need that assistance.”

 

About 8,500 children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases are treated at the Memphis hospital each year and their families never receive a bill for care, travel, housing or food, according to a fact-sheet Culpepper supplied. The overall childhood cancer survival rate has increased from 20 to 80 percent because of treatments invented at St. Jude since the hospital opened its doors in 1962.

 

Sandlin and his wife Debbie were honored for adopting the cause in order to teach students the importance of charity during the special recognition portion of the school board meeting on Thursday, April 19, in the Administrative Building. “We’ll go for that next million right away,” Superintendent Dr. Scott Dill assured the couple.

 

Pictured: Visiting St. Jude on Friday, April 6, were chaperones/parents (from left) Jenifer Richardson, Melanie Schalk, Cheryl Berry, Staci Barker, Shiela Boyles, Hilary Taylor, Stephanie Halter, Angie Bowman and Lorenzo Sandlin; and top fundraising students (in alphabetical order) Truston Alexander, Madeline Allbritton, Owen Baucom, Makayla Cantu, Alexis Cochran, Audrey Davis, Daine Dugas, Natalya Johnson, Anna Lack, Tristan Lady, Sawyer Richardson, Natalea Rommel, Aiden Sandlin, Clayton Schalk, Laine Schalk, Audrey Smith, Bailey Smith, Sara Tolliver, Caleb Vinson and Bristol Weadon. Not present for the photo was student Charlie Raglin.

Photo and articles submitted by Tim Krakowiak, Communications/Marketing Director, Poplar Bluff R-I School District

Bloomfield, Missouri - Modern Wooden Chapter 7649 in Bloomfield matching Bloomfield Project Funds from recent fundraisers Pee Wee Prom and Silent Auction.

$3245.50 was raised and Modern Woodmen matched $2,500 for a total of $5,745.50 raised. 

The Missouri FFA Association recognized Colton Reinert of the Puxico FFA Chapter as the Area 16 Star Farmer at the 90th Missouri FFA Convention.

His parents are Donnie and Jessica Reinert of Puxico.

His advisor is Randy Stephens.

Area Star Farmers are chosen based upon outstanding production agriculture in the student's supervised agricultural experience program and active participation in FFA. Area 16 includes 19 chapters in the Southeast District. MFA Inc., Columbia, sponsors the 16 area Star Farmer awards and the State Star Farmer Award. Reinert’s SAE began with the purchase of two crossbred market hogs and an Angus market steer. He continues to improve his livestock's genetics each year and has received numerous awards including grand and reserve champion placings at local and district fairs. Reinert has served as chapter president and area chaplain. He has competed at the state level in the agronomy and livestock evaluation career development events. Reinert received the area forage production proficiency award and the area diversified agriculture production proficiency award. He has also attended Washington Leadership Conference and Helping Youth Maximize their Agricultural eXperiences (HYMAX) Academy. 

In addition to FFA, Reinert is a member of the Future Business Leaders of America and Beta Club. He is a member of the National Wild Turkey Federation and Puxico First Baptist Church. After graduation, Reinert plans to attend Three Rivers College, Poplar Bluff, before transferring to Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, to study agribusiness and agronomy. After college, he plans to become an agronomist.

The Missouri FFA has 25,375 members representing 343 chapters. The national organization has more than 653,000 members representing 8,568 chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

The Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Catapult Creative House at Southeast Missouri State University are pleased to announce the finalists of the inaugural Southeast Startup Pitch Competition (SSPC) taking place on May 2.

The finalists are as follows:

    “Geocash” by Josh Taylor of Ellsinore, Missouri

    “Good Boy Vending” by Emily Stansbury of Hillsboro, Missouri

    “SaniFit” by Wesley Mourton of Ballwin, Missouri, and Jeremiah Strong of Manchester, Missouri

    “Creation for Communication” by Whitley Bieser of Columbia, Missouri, and Wesley Lukasek of St. Louis, Missouri

    “Studdy Buddy” by Anthony Franco of Romeoville, Illinois, Carlos Ramirez of Romeoville, and Kade Fleming of Evansville, Indiana

Southeast students from the top five teams will pitch their ideas live at a Common Hour program from noon-1 p.m. in Glenn Auditorium of Dempster Hall. A panel of judges will critique each teams’ completeness, feasibility and investor attractiveness.

The pitch competition is free and open to the public.

The judges will award first place with a $2,000 cash prize, second place with a $1,000 cash prize and third place with a $500 cash prize (cash prizes are taxable).

The Southeast Startup Pitch Competition is an opportunity for Southeast undergraduate and graduate students in any area of study to develop real-world skills by developing a pitch for an investable idea. Students can compete as individuals or teams.