WESTERVILLE, OH—Ryan Turnmire, a recent graduate of Urbana High School and Ohio Hi-Point Career Center, spent a week in Kansas City Missouri recently competing in the 39th annual SkillsUSA/VICA National Leadership and Skills Conference, where he took First Place. On June 26,Turnmire and more than 4,000 other students from all 50 states and three territories competed in 75 contests in what is considered to be the “largest single day of corporate volunteerism in America,” valued at $25 million in time and resources. “It was very exciting,” Turnmire said. “The most difficult part was trying to get two press jobs done in one hour. One black and white work and tumble and one two color job. Turnmire competed in Graphic Communications from 7 am to 5 pm, and was rewarded at Friday’s award ceremony with First Place in the Secondary (High School) Division. He was required to compete in seven different areas, including production planning, a written knowledge test, a customer service oral assessment, finishing, digital workflow, press, and electronic prepress. Along with a shiny new medal, Turnmire will be receiving a $1,000 scholarship from Heidelberg to be presented at this year's Graph Expo in Chicago this September. “It’s caused quite a bit of excitement around here,” said Tom Carrig, graphic communications instructor at Ohio Hi-Point Career Center. “Ryan is the complete package and has many skills, scoring high in almost every category.” According to Carrig, the Hi-Point Printing and Graphics program will receive use of a Heidelberg Printmaster QM printing press (very nice, trust me) for one year, with the option to buy at a “greatly reduced…price.” All finalists in Secondary and Post Secondary divisions received a copy of the book “The GATF Encyclopedia of Graphic Communications,” and the first place winners received a “World of Print Media” DVD from the Print Media Academy. To reach the national competition, Turnmire first had to place at regional-level competition, then place first at state-level, which he did, also receiving a $1,000 scholarship from Printing Industries Association serving Northern Kentucky and Ohio (PIANKO)’s scholarship foundation Printing Industries Education Funds, Inc. (PIEF). “We are honored to be supporting such a great young man like Ryan,” said Anita Herington, PIANKO’s president. “We knew he had a lot to offer our industry.” Turnmire said he plans to begin his education at Clark State Community College and transfer to Bowling Green State University in the Visual Communications Department.