NIC student earns bronze medal at national SkillsUSA competition
Posted: Monday, Jun 8, 2026
As thousands of career and technical education students packed State Farm Arena in Atlanta, North Idaho College student Zoe Hunt was just trying to find a seat.
Seconds after sitting down, Hunt’s name was called to the stage, but she wasn’t expecting it and didn’t hear it. Hunt’s instructor had to grab and guide the eventual third-place finisher in Automotive Refinishing Technology to the stage at the 2026 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference.
"Walking up there I felt like I was going to pass out, even though I've never fainted before but I felt like I was pretty close," Hunt said. "It was pretty nerve-wracking getting up there with all the lights and all the people shuffling you around."
Hunt, of Sandpoint, earned a bronze medal along with autobody tools, supplies and training opportunities after competing against 26 of the nation's top collegiate automotive refinishing students during the June 1-5 conference at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
“I had a really fun time, and I think it was really valuable to just see all the different ways people approach things,” Hunt said. “Honestly, I’m really glad that I placed. I know there was things I could’ve done better but I was just really happy to be there.”
Three NIC students represented the college at the national conference after winning gold medals at the state competition earlier this year. In addition to Hunt's bronze-medal finish, Chris Brandt, of Coeur d’Alene, placed 10th in Collision Damage Appraisal and Callitia McClintock, of Post Falls, placed 13th in Prepared Speech. Each of the more than 6,800 competitors at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference had to win their state competition to qualify for nationals.
“This is a really big deal for all the students that get to come down here because winning at the state level is one thing, but coming down to Atlanta and competing against all the other first-place state finishers is huge,” NIC Autobody and Paint Technology Instructor Andy Rogge said. “I couldn’t be prouder of all three of them. They put in the work to get here and performed really well on the national stage.”
Rogge said that the national conference also provides a huge networking opportunity for students and that he encourages them to talk to recruiters and professionals while there. Many of his students over the years have found job opportunities through the relationships built at SkillsUSA events.
“Employers from around the country really want to hire students that make it this far,” Rogge said. “They’re usually very driven learners and that’s just the kind of people you want to work with.”
The conference is an annual event that brings students from across the country to compete in hands-on contests that mirror real-world workplace challenges. Competitions are evaluated by industry professionals and test students' technical skills, problem-solving abilities and professionalism. The organization hosts competitions in fields such as cosmetology, culinary arts, diesel mechanics, mathematics and more.
For more information about NIC’s Autobody and Collision Repair Technology Program, visit nic.edu/collision.
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