Reston, VA - The Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation (GAERF) awarded nearly $25,000 in scholarships to the nation's top graphic communications and advertising & design students who participated in the SkillsUSA Championships held June 21-26 in Kansas City, MO. Each competitor was given $250 to defray the costs incurred in travelling to the event.

"GAERF is committed to supporting programs that prepare the workforce of the future," said Ralph J. Nappi, GAERF President. "In this spirit, we are delighted to recognize our industry's most talented students, and encourage them to consider the many exciting career opportunities that the graphic communications industry has to offer."

The annual event, which this year hosted more than 5,400 contestants competing in 91 different skill and leadership contests, showcases the top career and technical education students in the nation. Its purpose is to reward students for excellence, directly involve industry in evaluating student performance and provide training relevant to employers' needs.  To that end, the exhibition-which occupies a space equivalent to 16 football fields-is held with the assistance and support of industry, trade associations and labor organizations.

To become eligible for the national competition, students must first compete at the local and state levels.  Two representatives from each state-one at the high school level and one at post-secondary-then advance to the national competition.
This marked the fourth consecutive year that a PrintED-accredited program has produced a secondary graphic communications SkillsUSA gold medalist.  Graphic communications medalists at the secondary level were:

Gold: John Litwinowicz, who as a rising senior at Royal Oak High School in Royal Oak, MI was the youngest student ever to take first-place in the 2008 competition. He returned this year to once again win the gold;

Silver: Amanda St. Martin from Bay Path RVT High School, Charlton, MA; and,

Bronze: Anthony Aebi, Sammamish High School, Bellevue, WA.
At the post-secondary level, the winners were:

Gold: Brandon Noll from Illinois Central College, East Peoria, IL;

Silver: Michelle Schrokosch from Riverside Community College, Riverside, CA; and,

Bronze: Joseph Skaggs from Vincennes University, Vincennes, IN.
Advertising & Design medalists at the secondary level were:

Gold: Victoria Brown from Del Sol High School, Las Vegas, NV;

Silver: Pedro Miramontes from Pocatello High School, Pocatello, ID; and,

Bronze: Yea Jee Bae from Dalton High School, Dalton, GA.
At the post-secondary level, the winners were:

Gold: Chelsea Eichler from University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, Fort Smith, AR;  

Silver: Ryan Jacobs from Des Moines Area Community College, Ankeny, IA; and,

Bronze: Amy Easter from Guilford Tech Community College, Jamestown, NC.
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