In the Spring of 2013, I received my first taste of what SkillsUSA had to offer. Shortly after, my local advisor encouraged me to run for an officer position on the state team. Apprehensive of this challenge, I assured him that he was mistaken. I hadn’t the confidence to speak in front of my peers in a classroom, let alone an auditorium full of people. My advisor respected my concerns and refrained from bringing up the matter. While I was not ready to address an audience, I was receiving training to do so without my knowledge. I volunteered throughout the Summer with my advisor on a food truck at the local ball games. When short on volunteers, I was asked to run the cash register to take orders and deliver them to the customers. Once I became
