New Madrid County R-1 School District

SkillsUSA announced its top three 1st place chapters in each framework component for the 2023 Models of Excellence (MOE) program during the Awards Session at the National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC) in Atlanta on Friday, June 23. 

The winners were selected from a talented field of 24 finalists from around the nation, each representing the application of the SkillsUSA Framework in the Personal, Workplace and Technical skills demanded by industry. Winners for 2023 First Place Outstanding Chapter are Chapter Representatives, Gracie McMackin and Dawson Boggs, from New Madrid County R-1 Technical Skills Center of Missouri (Personal Skills).

Models of Excellence (MOE) represents the top tier of the SkillsUSA Chapter Excellence Program (CEP). This program, in its ninth year, recognizes achievement as it relates to the successful integration of the Framework in a chapter’s SkillsUSA Program of Work, including community service and leadership activities. 

Makayla Birdwell, Chloe Polk, and Avery Towery competed in Community Service and brought home the Silver Medal for second place. 

Iliana Zuniga competed in Screen Printing and placed fifth and has set a goal to make it on stage and medal next year.

The girls are all juniors and ready to go back and bring home first place next year. Dawson Boggs, a senior, said this was his best year of high school thanks to the opportunities through CTE and SkillsUSA. Each student verbalized how grateful they were for this opportunity and how SkillsUSA has impacted their life. 

Thank you to our administrators, teachers, and school board for the opportunity to take our students to nationals and represent our school district. They represented us well!