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Jeremy Elliott tightens the chain on his dirt bike. Photo by Jean Farley

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Students with skills

By NATE HUBBARD/Staff

Jeremy Elliott has fixed himself up a summer trip to Kansas City, Mo.
The Rocky Gap High School junior won the statewide SkillsUSA motorcycle service technology contest at the Virginia Leadership Conference and Skills Competitions in Hampton during the last weekend in April.
As state champion, Jeremy is eligible to compete at the SkillsUSA national competition in Kansas City at the end of June. During an interview Monday afternoon, Jeremy said he plans to attend the national event.
The SkillsUSA competitions encompass a variety of events in which students use techniques taught in vocational classes.
Other competitions besides motorcycle service technology at the Virginia conference included cabinetmaking, nail care technology, photography and Web page design.
Jeremy wasn’t the only Rocky Gap student to excel at the state competition. His fellow Eagle, Jonathan Havens, finished second in the motorcycle service technology event.
Mike Howington, the small engine repair teacher at Tazewell County Career and Technical Center where Rocky Gap students take vocational classes, said Jeremy and Jonathan often work together in the shop.
“They’re just tough,” Howington said. “They team together, they work well together.”
Howington, who is in his fourth year teaching at TCCTC, said Jeremy’s victory represents the first time one of his students has qualified for nationals.
According to the SkillsUSA-Virginia Web site, the motorcycle service technology competition asks contestants to “perform tasks representative of those encountered in a dealership’s service department.”
Areas Jeremy said he was tested on included parts identification, precision measurement and carburetor adjustment.
The competitors were judged on having clean and organized work habits, using reference materials correctly, following directions accurately and practicing good technical skills.
In addition to work on actual motorcycle machinery, Jeremy said the competition also included a written test.
“I was kind of leery about it; I wasn’t too sure,” Jeremy said about his feelings after completing his tasks. “I think I was the first one done. I got out and I thought for sure I messed up doing something.”
After finishing his event during the day on April 26, Jeremy said he found out he won later that evening at an awards ceremony.
Although this is his first year taking Howington’s small engine repair class, Jeremy said he’s been tinkering with machines since elementary school.
“It’s just a hobby,” he said. “I started on bicycles and then got up to something with a motor.”
Most days after school, Jeremy said he works on his dirt bike, and he added that he also helps out around McKee’s motorcycle and ATV repair shop on occasion.
Howington said it takes a well-rounded skill set to be successful on the state level at SkillsUSA competitions, adding that reading, math and science are all key components of the small engine repair class.
“You’ve got to have the total package,” Howington said. “[Jeremy] is a total package.”
Although Howington said he tries to teach in his class a good balance of hands-on repairs and bookwork similar to the SkillsUSA tests, he also emphasized that the class isn’t centered on winning the competitions, saying he has to keep his lessons focused on state benchmark requirements.
He said the advanced maintenance skills Jeremy came in to the class with were invaluable when it came to winning the state contest.
“It helps a lot if a young man, or woman, has been around mechanics,” Howington said.
Since next month’s competition will be Howington’s first experience with a student at nationals, he said he hopes the trip will be a good learning tool for him to help prepare future students for the events.
For his part, Jeremy said he’s just looking forward to visiting a new place and giving the competition his best shot.
“I’m going to study hard,” he said regarding his preparation plans for nationals.
In addition to sending Jeremy to Kansas City, Rocky Gap also will have a state champion representative at the senior beta national competition in Myrtle Beach, S.C., in June.
Jared Hagan, a RGHS senior, won the statewide social studies competition for the second consecutive year. Last year he was unable to attend the national competition, but he said Monday that he plans to make this year’s event.
Jared said the social studies competition involved taking an approximately 100-question test encompassing areas such as world history, constitutional law, U.S. government and geography.
The Virginia senior beta convention was held in Richmond on March 28 and 29.
Although Jared already had a state championship to his name, he said he felt pressure to match his previous success.
“I was a lot more nervous this year,” he said. “You definitely don’t want to get dumber.”
Like Jeremy, Jared said he’ll try to go in to nationals with reasonable expectations.
“I would very much like to win, but just hope for the best is what I’ll say.”
Nate Hubbard can be reached at 228-6611 or .