Top winners of SkillsUSA Graphic Communications contest to be recognized at Graph Expo KENNESAW, Ga. - September 27, 2002 – As part of its ongoing commitment to industry education and encouraging students to enter the field of print media, Heidelberg will honor the winners of the national 2002 SkillsUSA Championships award for graphic communications during the Graph Expo tradeshow in Chicago next week. Winners Emily Bawn and Tracey Steinkraus and their instructors will be honored at a dinner to be held on Oct. 6. The honorees also will receive complimentary passes to the tradeshow so they can observe firsthand the industry’s latest technology and innovations. Later this fall, Heidelberg will install a Printmaster QM 46, two-color press in each of the schools Bawn and Steinkraus were enrolled in at the time of the competition. Both winners were awarded a $1,000 scholarship and learning materials on the behalf of the Heidelberg Print Media Academy. Heidelberg has supported the SkillsUSA graphic communications category since 1999. To secure first place, Bawn and Steinkraus excelled by producing finished documents on a 2-color Heidelberg Printmaster press, performing electronic pre-press exercises and acing a written exam that tested their overall knowledge of the industry. The live competition included skills in, film stripping, electronic publishing and press operation. Participants also competed for the first time in a folding exhibition with folders provided by Baum. The event was not considered in the final round of judging. The event is being considered as a formal event next year. Emily Bawn, a graduate of Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School in Lexington, Mass., and now a freshman at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, received top honors in the Secondary Division for her outstanding work. This was the second year Bawn participated in the contest. Hard work and determination helped her move from one of the last placements in last year’s competition to this year’s top seat. "I was disappointed with my finish last year and wanted to have a better showing at this year’s competition," Bawn said. Tracey Steinkraus, a graduate of the Nichols Career Center in Jefferson City, Mo., won the Postsecondary Division award for her efforts in graphic communications and was also cited for exemplary work. "This competition is a great way to show off what you have learned in school and to be tested on your skills at the same time," stated Steinkraus now a graphic artist at Missouri Ozarks Publishing. "The SkillsUSA competition represents some of the finest examples of young talent in the graphic communications industry," said Larry Kroll, vice president of the U.S. Heidelberg Print Media Academy. "National achievements and competitions like this help increase understanding of the business and the numerous career opportunities it holds." The June 2002 event drew more than 4,000 contestants in 73 separate events with nearly 1,500 judges and contest organizers from labor and management. The SkillsUSA Championships is the showcase for the best career and technical students in the nation. Contests begin locally and continue through the state and national levels. Before reaching the national competition, participants had to place first in the SKILLS-VICA (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America) state tournament before moving on to the nationals in Kansas City. SkillsUSA–VICA is a national organization serving more than 250,000 high school and college students and professional members who are enrolled in training programs in technical, skilled, and service occupations. The SkillsUSA program - a multi-million dollar event held annually in Kansas City, Mo. - is designed to help prepare high performance workers for the U.S. job market. It emphasizes total quality at work, high ethical standards, superior work skills, life-long education and pride in the dignity of work. For more information, visit www.skillsusa.org.