Esmeralda Alvarado - 

President/State Officer of the SkillsUSA Organization & First Place in Welding

Esmeralda is 18 years old and is a senior at Kofa High School in Yuma, Arizona. Her freshman year she had no interest in welding until her sophomore year where she discovered her passion for welding. Within that same year she decided to compete in welding sculpture and place 3rd in the Region 1 Welding Sculpture Compeition for SkillsUSA. This year, only 2 years after learning to weld, Esmeralda won 1^st place at the Region 1 Welding Individual SkillsUSA Competition. Esmeralda takes a 2 hour vocational class at her high school where she practices and learns welding GMAW,GTAW,SMAW and Oxy-fuel cutting.  After Esmeralda’s day at high school she attends night classes at Arizona Western College in Yuma, Arizona where she takes welding math and basic automotive services. Esmeralda plays an important role in her generation’s community as a Region 1 President/State Officer of the SkillsUSA Organization in Arizona. Advocated by Mike Rowe, the SkillsUSA organization provides leadership, employability, technical and professional skills training to over 300,000 students nationwide.  Esmeralda’s plans after graduating high school are to attend Arizona Western College  full time where she will receive an associate’s degree in industrial technology, then transfer to Northern Arizona University where she will receive a bachelors in industrial management and a major in welding.  Esmeralda has enlisted in the National Guard and will complete AIT Training this fall where she will serve as a Technical Engineer for 6 years while completing her degree. Esmeralda brings a fresh perspective to the panel with her eagerness to learn and grow as an individual.

Chandler Vincent -

USA representative in the World Skills of Welding Competititon, College Student, Welding Shop Owner

Chandler Vincent is 19 years old. Chandler is currently living in Price, Utah and going to school at Utah State University Eastern, where he is in the process of getting his Associates of Applied Science with an emphasis of Welding Degree. Chandler is the owner of CRV Welding and Fabrication which he started at the age of 16. Chandler worked in the oil field industry by mostly building metal skids for pump jack motors as well as frack sand conveyors. In the past 4 years of his welding career he has started and managed his own business, won the State Skills USA Welding Competition, twice, as well as recently winning the US Open Weld Trials 2017. This has qualified Chandler to represent the United States of America in the World Skills Welding Competition in Abu Dhabi this October. Chandler will also get the opportunity to compete at two other international competitions, one in China, June 2017, and one in Australia, July 2017.

Reed Cheatham -

Design Engineer at LinkUp International

While completing college at University of North Texas, Reed worked as a welder’s assistant at Westair for a summer. Reed started as an intern at LinkUp International in March of 2014 before becoming a design engineer at the company. LinkUp international manufactures parts for the locomotives industry with on-site capabilities such as; cutting, forming, welding, milling, turning and powder coating. Reed was an Honors Scholar Member for two years at the University of North Texas, he was part of the Americas Society of Mechanical Engineers & helped to develop a more efficient locomotive fueling system while interning during his first year at LinkUp. Reed works directly with the customers of LinkUp International and therefore brings a great perspective of adapting to clients communication styles and needs from a millennial’s perspective. Reed’s workplace is of a less traditional style that includes unlimited vacation time, lenient work hours and use of new office communication platforms outside of e-mail. Reed can share great insight on what it’s like not to work at a traditional 9-5 workplace and working with customers from multiple generations.

Andrew Strickland-

Owner of Strickland Bros Enterprise, manufacturer for specialty agricultural equipment

Andrew is 28 years old and co-owns his family business, Strickland Bros Enterprise, INC. with his father.  Strickland Bros. manufactures parts for specialty agricultural equipment and works with metal fabrication. Andrew graduated from North Carolina State University with an Agricultural business management degree in 2010 and is part of the 1% of FFA members to hold the American FFA degree.  Andrew grew up working for his family business since he was about 12 years old. Growing up, Andrew learned the traditional way of work and management from his father. Now as co-owner, Andrew has started to implement his own techniques.  Andrew has a unique viewpoint from working with his father’s traditional ways to now hiring millennial's himself while also working with the baby-boomer generation.