Students Show Off Screen-Printing Skills at National SkillsUSA Competition
The 2024 National SkillsUSA competition featured students showcasing their screen-printing skills
It seems every year for the past several years, we hear shops around the printing industry say that hiring employees who care, who stick around, and who are interested in the industry is a business challenge. This is felt in the apparel decorating community specifically, where shops largely report that hiring people who stick around is near impossible.
And while there are plenty of avenues to pursue good candidates, one that shines is the realm of students. Each year, SkillsUSA supports and prepares students interested in various trades and industries by offering education opportunities and competitions. The National Leadership & Skills Conference brings together over 16,500 attendees, with more than 6,500 state champions competing for national gold, silver, and bronze medals in 114 skilled and leadership competitions.
Among these students are those interested in screen-printing, and the 2024 winners demonstrate excellence in every sense of the word. Decorators should pay attention to this group, and in order to get more familiar, Apparelist profiled each screen-printing winner this year. Let’s meet the winners.
Abigail Norman – Gold Medal Winner, Screen Printing, College
By all accounts, it might seem that Abigail Norman is the average college student. At 22 years old, she attends Salt Lake Community College in Utah, where she plans to wrap up her associate’s degree in both business and graphic communication.
But as the 2024 gold medal winner in the screen-printing category at SkillsUSA, she has defined herself as anything but ordinary.
Taking it back, Abigail says she got her first taste of screen printing in high school. “I took two years of classes where I was introduced to screen printing, dye-sublimation, and graphic design,” she says. “I learn much better through hands-on activities rather than lectures and note-taking, so taking this class was a game-changer for me. I could get up from a desk and enjoy some freedom during the school day.”
But that doesn’t mean it instantly became a solid contender for future pursuit. “When I graduated high school in 2020, I was filled with uncertainty about my future,” Abigail recalls. “I had no idea what I wanted to do and felt unprepared. It seemed like one moment I was halfway through my senior year, and then I blinked and had graduated — virtually — and was suddenly faced with the decision of choosing a major.”
Like many students of the COVID-19 pandemic era, Abigail felt that uncertainty going into her future. But then, things started to happen. “Initially, I enrolled in general classes before discovering my passion for graphic design,” she states. “This realization led me to change my major to Graphic Communications and ultimately take a screen-printing course.”
And you could say it was all downhill from there as the pieces just kept falling into place. Abigail says that her college instructor, Todd Slade, asked if anyone wanted to compete at SkillsUSA. “Without even knowing the details, I eagerly raised my hand and volunteered,” she says. “If there was any opportunity to gain experience, I knew I wanted to participate, and I am so glad I did because it was an amazing experience.”
Describing her experience, Abaigail recalls a whirlwind feeling. “I was worried about the timed portion of our competition where we had only seven minutes to print as many three-color shirts as possible,” she explains. But once she started printing, she got in the zone and ultimately achieved a gold medal for it. And that was a feeling Abigail won’t soon forget.
“I had spent the whole award ceremony trying not to get my hopes up, so hearing them announce my name as the gold medal winner was quite a shock,” she says.
As to whether she now feels she has a future in screen printing, the odds are good. “I am currently in the final stages of setting up my printing operation, which Ryonet generously gifted to me,” Abigail states. “Soon, I'll be ready to start taking small orders for T-shirts and other screen-printed apparel. My goal is to eventually open my own shop, where I can handle larger orders and expand my offerings to include heat pressing and embroidery.
Ella Ikerd – Silver Medal Winner, Screen Printing, College
At the time of writing, Ella Ikerd was unavailable to be interviewed. We at Apparelist and PRINTING United Alliance offer her congratulations on the silver medal win at this year's SkillsUSA competition - Screen Printing Technology.
Eryn Jordan – Bronze Medal Winner, Screen Printing, College
At the time of writing, Eryn Jordan was unavailable to be interviewed. We at Apparelist and PRINTING United Alliance offer her congratulations on the silver medal win at this year's SkillsUSA competition - Screen Printing Technology.
Sofia Grasso – Gold Medal Winner, Screen Printing, High School
If the name “Sofia Grasso” sounds oddly familiar, it’s because you’ve probably read about her before. Sofia won the bronze medal at last year’s national SkillsUSA competition at just 17 years old. And this year, she came back for more.
A graduate from South Shore Technical High School, Sofia is currently enrolled in Comprehensive Medial Teaching Institute Plymouth Quincy College. She first competed in SkillsUSA as a junior in high school. “My shop teachers had us all take a test on our selected category,” Sofia recalls of her earlier experience. “From there I just wanted to see how good I could be at the knowledge of screen printing, [and] once I saw my score I knew I had potential.”
That score earned her a bronze medal in 2023, but this year, the gold is what caught her eye. In fact, it was a motivating factor to come back. “I competed my senior year because I recently placed third nationally the year before and wanted to beat my last score,” Sofia says.
As a repeat competitor, Sofia enjoyed reconnecting with past attendees and even the judges. “The judges were very friendly — I recognized almost all of them, and [they] pointed me out from the year before,” she says of this year’s event. “No matter if you felt good or bad during the competition, they all managed to keep a smile on my face.”
Of course, there was no knowledge ahead of time that she would win the gold medal. But when the time came for the announcement of the winners, Sofia was ecstatic to hear her name called. “When I found out I had won a metal I was recording my reaction,” she says. “Once my state (Massachusetts) was called, I stood up screaming and jumping with joy.”
While Sofia clearly has a passion for screen printing, her current plans for a future career are headed in a different direction. She’s going to paramedic school and is currently and EMT. But if she couldn’t stay away from SkillsUSA and screen printing once, who knows when we’ll see her name in our community again …
Jackson Everett – Silver Medal Winner, Screen Printing, High School
Also from the great state of Utah is this year’s silver medalist in the high school category. Jackson Everett is a senior at Dixie High School, located in the town of St. George. And like many apparel decorators in the industry, Jackson found screen printing via family.
“My mom introduced me to screen printing because she is the graphics teacher at a rival high school in our district,” he explains. “I took the graphic design classes at my school and was introduced to Kyler Kelsch, who owns a local screen-printing company called Geezy Tees. I started out working for him not knowing much, but learning in that environment helped me to progress faster than I would have otherwise.”
That hands-on experience was a huge part of propelling Jackson to a win at the National SkillsUSA competition this year, but he attributes his progress to other areas as well. “My mom introduced me to SkillsUSA, and I have to give a shoutout to the most ‘GOAT’ advisor Mr. Craig Milligan,” he says. He also points to his friend, Hayden, who clearly brings out the best in Jackson.
“At state I was with my co-worker, Hayden, who I absolutely smoked,” laughs Jackson. “It was super fun to be able to experience that with him. … He will be the first person to tell you I am a superior printer to him in just about every way imaginable.”
Despite the joking and ribbing, Jackson seems to really love screen printing, and felt the experience at SkillsUSA was worthwhile. “The judges were super cool and gave me some great feedback,” he says. “It was super exciting to see my name go up on the screen because I was the only person from southern Utah to win a medal.”
Though he’s now the proud owner of the silver medal, Jackson doesn’t necessarily foresee a future in screen printing, at least, not yet. “I don’t think that I want to pursue a career in screen printing just because of the fact that it’s not the only thing I’m interested in learning about,” he explains. “I haven’t thought a whole lot about my future but I do know that I will be serving a two-year LDS mission and I would like to attend BYU. Other than that, I go where the wind takes me.”
Noelle Evans – Bronze Medal Winner, Screen Printing, High School
Even though Noelle Evans is now a freshman at Delaware Technical Community College, during the SkillsUSA competition, she represented Delcastle Technical High School. Growing up in Wilmington, Delaware, Noelle notes that she was always interested in drawing and being creative. “I initially became interested [in screen printing] by following a brand called Unfinished Legacy on social media,” she says. “They are a clothing brand that specializes in screen printing. When touring at Delcastle Technical High School, I spent a day in their Graphic Arts shop and immediately knew that was the career I wanted.”
And thus began Noelle’s journey into the world of screen printing, which ultimately led her to the SkillsUSA competition. Her first foray into the event happened shortly after the competition restarted following the COVID-19 pandemic. “My Graphic Arts teacher, Mr. Ryk, introduced SkillsUSA to my 11th grade class, and encouraged me to compete in our state competition,” she says. “After placing first in the state for screen printing technology, I advanced to the SkillsUSA national competition.”
That year, Noelle placed seventh. “I was proud of myself but I knew I could do much better,” she recalls. “By the end of my second year competing (2024), I achieved my goal of being on the podium, receiving bronze.”
Throughout the competition, Noelle recalls being a bit jittery. “I had a lot of additional stress on my shoulders and while at the competition, it started to weigh on me, causing me to worry about my performance during my time at the conference center,” she notes. But when all was said and done, she felt good about her overall experience.
“With support from Amber Massey and all of the other judges, I was able to enjoy my time there as well as being able to continue believing in myself and staying confident throughout my remaining time there,” says Noelle.
But it all paid off when it came time to announce the winners. “I knew the announcement of my competition was going to be called soon — while sitting in my chair, I continued to tell myself ‘it’s okay if I don’t make it, it’s okay,’” she says. Then, she saw Delaware’s name come up under the screen-printing category. “I jumped out of my seat, same with all of my friends who were sitting with me and started yelling,” she says of her reaction. “I couldn’t believe it. I worked so hard, and I knew I deserved it yet I still couldn’t believe I actually did it. I made it on the podium. I was so excited and proud of myself!”
Noelle is among those students who plan to pursue their craft. “I am now currently going to Delaware Tech for Advertising Design so I can grow in my design skills, and that way the art I produce will be more advanced for my screen printing,” she says of her plans. “I’m also going to go to more screen-printing conventions to grow my connections and hopefully be able to learn from those who have much more experience than me. … The screen print and design world is full of endless possibilities and opportunities.”