ATLANTA — An Oneida native is now one of the best masons in the country.
Gavin Gerard, a student at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, took home the bronze medal in masonry at the SkillsUSA Championships in Atlanta at the end of June. With that win, he became the college's first medalist at a SkillsUSA national competition.
The masonry competition gave students six hours to build a composite brick-and-block project. It included components of the most frequently used details in residential construction and tested students' ability to meet industry standards in quality.
SkillsUSA serves middle, high school and college students preparing for further education and careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations. More than 6,000 students competed in the SkillsUSA Championships. The full event featured competitions in 115 trade, technical and leadership fields.
This was Gerard's second consecutive year competing at the national level. In 2023 he qualified in the job interview category. He did so again this year, in addition to the masonry competition.
To qualify in masonry, Gerard won gold at the SkillsUSA Illinois Championships in Peoria in April.
In total, five state champions from Sandburg College qualified for this year's national event:
- Faith Kiprop, Technical Computer Applications
- Brian Kipchemis, Medical Math
- Ascar Jepchirchir, Medical Terminology
- Sullivan Ross, Welding Sculpture
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