Avery County Schools is celebrating outstanding student achievement after North Carolina placed second in the nation at the 61st annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, held June 1–5 in Atlanta. This year’s event brought together more than 19,000 attendees and 7,000 competitors from across the country, with North Carolina ranking among the top five states in overall delegation attendance.
North Carolina students earned an impressive 79 national medals, the second‑highest total of any state. Of those, 32 medals were awarded to middle and high school students — including several exceptional competitors from Avery County Schools.
These results come during a record‑setting year for Career and Technical Education (CTE) in North Carolina. Public school students earned 382,964 industry‑recognized credentials in 2024–25, the highest number in state history. The state now ranks second nationwide in the percentage of K–12 students participating in CTE coursework.
Avery County Schools National Medalists
Avery County Schools is proud to recognize the following SkillsUSA National Medalists whose hard work, creativity, and leadership earned national honors:
🥇 Gold Medalists
Promotional Bulletin Board
Avery Middle School: Madison Franklin, Allie Thompson, Amelia Wanner
🥈 Silver Medalists
Outstanding Chapter
Cranberry Middle School: Tenley Hodges, Noel Miles, Saunders Stephenson
🥉 Bronze Medalists
Prepared Speech
Cranberry Middle School: Parker Oakley
T‑Shirt Design
Avery Middle School: Matilda Gragg
Celebrating Excellence in CTE
These students represent the very best of Avery County Schools’ commitment to hands‑on learning, leadership development, and real‑world skill building. Their achievements reflect countless hours of preparation, creativity, teamwork, and dedication — as well as the support of their teachers, advisors, families, and school communities.
Avery County Schools congratulates all of our SkillsUSA competitors and extends special recognition to our national medalists for representing our district and the state of North Carolina with excellence!!!