HVHS electrical student headed to state competition
Published 3:52 pm Monday, February 26, 2018
- Star Photo/Abby Morris-Frye Happy Valley High School student Joshua Radford works to install electrical wiring for a three-way switch. After placing at the SkillsUSA Regional Competition, Radford will be representing Happy Valley at the SkillsUSA State Championship next month.
After placing in a regional competition, an electrical student from Happy Valley High School is on his way to represent his school in the state competition.
Joshua Radford, a senior at Happy Valley, recently placed 4th in Residential Construction Wiring at the SkillsUSA Regional Competition. That placement allows him to advance to the SkillsUSA State Competition to be held in Chattanooga March 18-21.
This year marked the first time the school has sent a student in the Foundations of Construction program — which includes mechanical, electrical, and plumbing — to the SkillsUSA competition according to program instructor James Monroe.
Going into the competition, Radford didn’t know what his task was going to be. This was also his first year competing at a SkillsUSA event.
“I was nervous going in at first,” Radford said. “When I got in to do my wiring I was able to calm down some.”
For the competition, Radford had to install electrical wiring from a breaker box to a three-way switch and through a ground fault interrupter. From the interrupter, Radford had to continue the wiring to a receptacle, back through the breaker box and to another three-way switch. He also had to bend a section of conduit to a 30-degree angle on each end.
“It wasn’t too bad, but there were parts I struggled on, but I was able to finish it,” Radford said.
At the state competition, Radford said he will be given a similar task to complete.
“I’m kind of nervous about it, but I’m excited too,” he said of his upcoming state competition bid.
Several other Happy Valley students in the Career Technical Education (CTE) programs will be making the trip to the SkillsUSA State Competition with Radford.
Brad Atkins, Austin Ayers, and Lane Kyte will be competing as a three-man team in welding fabrication. Spencer Babb will be taking part in the Industrial Motor Controls competition. Eli Fleenor will compete in First Aid/CPR. Nathaniel Nickles will be competing in the Welding Sculpture event. Jonathan Webb will be participating in the Technical Math Quiz competition.
