OTC Students Earn Gold, and Bronze medals at State SkillsUSA Competition
Posted on Feb 24, 2026 at 12:00 PM
The Ogeechee Technical College (OTC) SkillsUSA team earned one gold medal and three bronze medals at the 2026 SkillsUSA Georgia State Leadership and Skills Conference held February 19-21 in Atlanta. The competition took place at the Georgia World Congress Center and the Hyatt Regency Atlanta.
OTC secured gold in Cybersecurity with the team of Andrew Mitchell and Austin Redman. The Cybersecurity team of Elizabeth Rector-Hager and Brandon Parker earned bronze. In Cosmetology, Katie Wilson brought home a bronze medal, while Jasmine Garza-Avila earned bronze in Esthetics with model Susana Figueroa-Arguello.
Students Travis Webb, Barbering, and Jamie Pearson, Medical Terminology, also competed in this year’s SkillsUSA State competition.
Throughout the conference, students had opportunities to demonstrate their technical skills, complete assessments, network with peers and industry professionals, and further develop their career readiness skills. Gold medalists advance to the national SkillsUSA conference this summer.
“Watching all of our students, not just my Cybersecurity students, step into competition with confidence and professionalism is incredibly rewarding,” said Terry Hand, Advisor and Cybersecurity Instructor. “They dedicate countless hours to perfecting their skills, and seeing that hard work recognized at the state level speaks volumes about their talent and determination. I couldn’t be more proud of how they represented Ogeechee Tech.”
Participants on this year’s SkillsUSA team included:
Lead Advisors – Beckie Snyder, Chuck Davis
Barbering – DJ Albright (Advisor), Travis Webb
Cosmetology – DJ Albright (Advisor), Katie Wilson
Cybersecurity – Terry Hand (Advisor), Andrew Mitchell, Austin Redman, Elizabeth Rector-Hager, Brandon Parker
Esthetics – Mia Mask (Advisor), Jasmine Garza-Avila, Susana Figueroa-Arguello (Model)
Medical Terminology – Chuck Davis (Advisor), Jamie Pearson
In addition, two OTC advisors served as judges during the High School SkillsUSA competition held earlier in the week. DJ Albright judged Cosmetology, and Mia Drew judged Esthetics.
About Ogeechee Technical College:
Ogeechee Technical College (OTC) is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia. OTC provides student‐centered academic and occupational programs and support services at the associate degree, diploma, and certificate levels. OTC utilizes traditional and distance education methodologies in state-of-the-art facilities while supporting adult education, continuing education, and customized business and industry workforce training. Visit www.ogeecheetech.edu for more information.
Contact Information
Sean Payne
Executive Director for Public Relations & Marketing
912.871.8559 | spayne@ogeecheetech.edu
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