A Natrona County High School senior works towards a bright future through SkillsUSA.

Tristy Thomas excelled at higher-level construction and cabinetmaking courses at Pathways Innovation Center, according to a press release from Natrona County Schools. Thomas is currently serving as a state officer.

When she first joined she said she was "pretty hesitant with it because I really didn’t know what it was. Mr. Hill just kept telling me what a good opportunity it would be, so as I went through the process, I found out we got to go to Washington, D.C., and travel quite a bit for different conventions. It became super intriguing to me, being a part of something bigger and being able to be a leader within that role.”

Natrona County Schools
Natrona County Schools
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As state officer Thomas gave a speech before SkillsUSA members from around the state.

This summer, Thomas traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in the Leadership Training Institute with her fellow officers from around the state. Thomas spent two days developing her communication skills, creating action plans, and practicing personal skills.

Thomas said, “We were broken out into smaller groups, so I got to meet a lot of new people. For me, that was one of the best parts because I learned about many different people who participate in SkillsUSA.”

Natrona County Schools
Natrona County Schools
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While in D.C., Thomas and her fellow Wyoming state delegates met with representatives from Senator John Barrasso’s office, Senator Cynthia Lummis, and Representative Liz Cheney. They also joined a Zoom meeting with Representative-Elect Harriet Hageman to discuss SkillsUSA and how the legislators can support students, CTE, and education.

Natrona County Schools
Natrona County Schools
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Instructor Rob Hill shared his excitement and appreciation for her leadership in and out of the classroom, "Tristy is not only an outstanding student, she has become a recognized state leader in Career and Technical Education. When afforded the opportunity to help lead Wyoming SkillsUSA this year, Tristy stepped forward and has not looked back. She is developing marketable skills, giving back to her community, and setting a clear path forward. Our construction program and business partners could not be more proud of her."

After graduation, Tristy plans to pursue a college degree in construction management and has big plans for her future success, “Long term, I have two younger twin brothers, and we have always talked about starting our own construction company.”

“I have a good base of all the technical skills I will need. And then those personal skills that you get to learn throughout all of it; communication, teamwork, work ethic, integrity. All of that just really builds up qualities as a leader that I think will be really useful for future careers and my future. The biggest takeaway for me was just having a plan for everything you are going into. It is all about how you can be more prepared for any event in your life and creating a really good step process for achieving the plan.”

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