Team Assiniboine gears up for national competition

Ever since the grade school days of getting a gold star for an assignment or a job well done, students have aspired to achieve and excel in the work they do. Receiving accolades in one’s class is admirable. Winning a school or city-wide honour is tremendously exciting. Being named the best in the province is beyond thrilling.

But ascending from the latter victory to compete on the national stage is an awe-inspiring, nerve-wracking and mind-blowing prospect. And it’s a dream that four Assiniboine Community College students will be living from May 31st to June 3rd this year.

Since 2005, Assiniboine has brought home three gold, nine silver and 10 bronze medals from the Skills Canada National Competition. Annually, this event brings together more than 500 students and apprentices to take part in more than 40 hands-on skilled trade and technology competitions. While Skills Canada is held in a different province each year, the 2017 event will take place in Winnipeg at the RBC Convention Centre.

The four Assiniboine students vying for the national title in their various disciplines were all gold medal winners in the 2017 Skills Manitoba competition:

Kristen Rozdeba, a first-year Office Administration student (hometown of Strathclair)

Parker Kemp, a graduating Industrial Metals Fabrication student (Killarney)

Tiara Ringling, a second-year Culinary Arts student (Winnipeg)

Jonathon Fingas, a second-year Network Administration Technology student (Winnipeg)