Redmond High junior qualifies for national CTE competition
Redmond High School junior Kyler Outman recently qualified to participate in the SkillsUSA national competition scheduled for June 25-29 in Louisville, Kentucky.
SkillsUSA is national organization comprised of students, teachers and industry partners focused on providing the United States with a skilled workforce through career and technical education (CTE) classes.
Outman earned his trip to the national competition by winning a gold medal in cabinet-making and power equipment technologies at the SkillsUSA state competition held in April in Milwaukie. He beat out the second-place finisher by 400 points.
During the national competition, Outman will participate in a variety of challenges, including parts identification, failure analysis, reassembly of a lawn tractor transmission, fuel injection theory, circuitry and voltage drop tests, engine failure to run diagnostic, mock interviews, and much more.
“The challenges I will compete in at nationals involve skills I learned from my CTE classes at Redmond High,” he said. “I’m thankful to attend a school in a district focused on providing students with options for being college and career ready upon graduation.”
In addition to his trip to nationals, Outman received a $10,000 scholarship from Universal Technical Institute, an Avondale, Arizona-based provider of technical education.
“Kyler is a dedicated young man with an insatiable desire to learn,” automotive teacher John Stroup said. “One time while working with Kyler, I asked, ‘When you look at that clock on the wall, do you see the time or do you think about how the clock works?’ Kyler proceeded to explain to me (in detail), how a mechanical clock works. He has an amazing mind, and it has been great to work with him on a variety of projects.”
Outman has made the most of his CTE classes at Redmond High, building an augmented reality (AR) sandbox last year, which received recognition on NewsChannel 21. Incorporating woodworking, computer programming and metal fabrication, the AR sandbox enables people to learn about landforms, water cycles and erosion with their hands.
“My CTE classes mean a lot to me, because they represent the trades I plan to pursue in my future occupations,” Outman explained.
This year, his skills have allowed him to do everything from welding a fuel tank mount for a V-twin motorcycle engine to building a dog house. In addition, he built an aluminum bullet box designed to house the three blanks fired at a military veteran’s funeral.
As for his plans after graduation next year, Outman said he’d like to attend Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls and eventually become a mechanical engineer.
