Mount Pleasant High School Electrical Technology students competed in the SkillsUSA District competition on February 22 at Texas State Technical College in Waco. All three electrical exhibits received blue ribbons and advanced to state with an additional four students qualifying for state in construction wiring and national electric code testing. In all, MPHS qualified 18 students for state in four events.

In the Construction Wiring competition, MPHS claimed the top two spots with senior Alfredo Pineda placing 1st and senior Hector Salazar placing 2nd. In this event, competitors are required to complete a written test over the National Electric Code (NEC), a practical conduit bending exercise, and hands-on installation of a conduit system, cabling system, and wiring devices. Working from drawings and specification sheets, competitors are required to install an electrical system common in most residential and light commercial projects.

In the National Electric Code Testing event, MPHS also claimed the top two spots with senior Jovani Garcia placing 1st and senior Jose Padilla coming in 2nd. This event focuses on applying and/or referencing the appropriate National Electrical Code chapters, articles, and calculations to given problems.

In the Electrical Exhibit competition, each exhibit must have a notebook that contains the electrical working drawings, a detailed description of the work done by the students in paragraph form, a write-up with a list of materials, current receipts, any materials donated, steps followed in completing the exhibit, and the students’ resumes. The exhibit must meet the industry standard for creativity and neatness and is judged on the degree of difficulty and must comply with the 2023 National Electrical Code.

The team of seniors Carlos Castillo, Christian Portillo, Gerardo Ramirez, and junior Kevin Cigarroa earned a blue ribbon and advanced to state with their Electrical Exhibit. The team built a replica of what is typically found in a residential swimming pool wiring set up including wiring for lights inside the pool.

The team of juniors Ethan Carrillo, Cristian Cordova, Austin Gonzalez, and Andres Jaimes earned a blue ribbon and advanced to state for their Residential Wiring Exhibit. The team built a replica of a home including front entrance sconces and interior lighting for a living room, kitchen, and bathroom.

The team of juniors Daniel Castillo, Angel Flores, Yahir Hernandez, and Zuleymi Nava earned a blue ribbon and advanced to state. This group of first year students created a Residential Wiring Exhibit showcasing what they have learned in class. They also created a unique photo wall on the opposite side of the exhibit featuring a neon sign.

In addition, junior Aidyn Chavez and senior Mario Patino were named Voting Delegates for District 5 and will be involved in choosing SkillsUSA Leadership for the 2025-2026 year.

The SkillsUSA Texas Leadership and Skills Conference is in Corpus Christi on April 2-5. The MPHS Electrical program instructor is Tim Davis.

Photos:

1: Electrical Exhibit state qualifiers (L to R) Andres Jaimes, Ethan Carrillo, Austin Gonzalez, Cristian Cordova

2: Electrical Exhibit state qualifiers (L to R) Zuleymi Nava, Yahir Hernandez, Angel Flores (not pictured Daniel Castillo)

3: Electrical Exhibit state qualifiers Christian Portillo (left) and Carlos Castillo

4: Voting delegate Aidyn Chavez

5: Electrical Exhibit state qualifiers Gerardo Ramirez (left) and Kevin Cigarroa

6: National Electric Code Testing state qualifier Jovani Garcia

7: (L to R) Construction Wiring state qualifier Alfredo Pineda, Voting Delegate Mario Patino, National Electric Code Testing state qualifier Jose Padilla