Fairfield Cosmetology’s SkillsUSA club earned a gold award of distinction fo being Indiana’s State Chapter of Excellence at a recent state conference. Shown are members of the club.
In front, from left, are Jessica Cabrera, Paige Yoder, Bree Mills, Casandra Ponce and Giselle Munoz.
In the second row are Bailey Rink, Priscilla Guevera, Krista Metzger, Reygan Troyer, Alyssa Griffiths, Alex Bigler, Makayah Fervida, Leigh Ann Shrack, Bridget Griffin, Ducle Munoz and Janice Miller.
In the third row are Hanna Angel, Katie Kirkham, Amy Hostetler, Ally Nichols, Lexi Dillion, Autum Brewster, Reyna Becerra, Bree Boocher, Leia Munn, Aubrey Leonard, Kayla Chalk, Lacy Snyder, Evelyn Quezada.
In the fourth row are Paulina Ramirez, Anna Macias, Desiy Gomez, Christina Jarvis, Madison Troyer, Chloee Little, Morgan Peak, Lucy Marin and Maria Miller and Lauren Miller. Not present is Jessica Croy.

GOSHEN — Fairfield Cosmetology Department struck gold at the SkillsUSA State Conference in Indianapolis April 21-22.

Fairfield Cosmetology instructors Lisa Firestone and Angie Higginbotham took 14 students to Indianapolis to compete in the SkillsUSA Indiana State Conference. Students were competing in esthetics, cosmetology, job skills demonstration and job interviewing. These 14 students were representing not only Fairfield Cosmetology and the Pathways Career Co-op, which currently hosts Fairfield, Wawasee, Goshen, Warsaw, West Noble and Whitko students. All state competitors had competed in both locals at Fairfield and the regional in Fort Wayne. Regional winners than moved on to the state competition.

The Pathways students who medaled at state were: Makayah Fervida from Fairfield and Leigh-Ann Shrack from Wawasee in esthetics and Bridget Griffin, also from Wawasee in cosmetology. These students have earned their place to represent the state at National SkillsUSA Conference this June in Louisville, Ky. Also medaling at the state conference in the job interview contest was the group’s silver medalist Fervida along with bronze medalist Paige Yoder, Goshen.

Fairfield Cosmetology’s SkillsUSA club earned a Gold Award of Distinction for being Indiana’s State Chapter of Excellence. This award is earned by ensuring students learn skills demanded by industry, develops the soft skills needed in workplace along with technical skills. The student participated in at numerous community service project and have been very successful with their fund raising to allow each student to participate in SkillsUSA.

Fairfield Cosmetology has two current 2016-17 state SkillsUSA officers: Yoder and Giselle Munoz, West Noble. These girls handed over the baton to their junior classmates, Breanna Mills and Casandra Ponce, both from Wawasee, who were elected during this year’s conference. These ladies will join three other officers from other parts of the state to be the 2017-18 state officer team. They will travel to Louisville in June to meet with the state officers from all over the nation. The officers will travel to Washington, D.C., in September to be part of the Washington, D.C. Leadership Institute.

Firestone and Higgenbotham are proud of all their students and look forward to their future success whether that is in competition, their first job or moving on to the collegiate world.