I’m most grateful of my decision to attend Benson Polytechnic High School, the Portland, Oregon magnet high school known for its technical education. At Benson you either choose the route of HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America) or SkillsUSA. 

I was most interested in all of the SkillsUSA educational options offered by Benson and naturally through my love of music and radio, I majored in the KBPS Radio Technology program. The KBPS program has produced some of the industries best. In the KBPS program you learn everything that is and ever was radio broadcasting as well as go on the air on AM 1450 KBPS, the Portland Public school district station. I really loved KBPS because it was all hands-on learning with state of the art equipment.

My graduating senior year, 2006, SkillsUSA created a brand new competition called Radio (Audio) Production and Benson’s KBPS radio students became immediately involved, mostly thanks to station manager Bill Cooper who got us on board. I was overflowing with excitement to be a part of a huge first for KBPS and for SkillsUSA. I was pretty nervous about the state competition but I remember calming down and feeling much more comfortable after talking with my partner and it got under way. I always strived for the best in all of my radio work and projects and it definitely paid off, we got the word we won and were going to nationals!

The SkillsUSA national competition was an experience I will never forget! All of the great activities and events SkillsUSA and its partners put on were fantastic. Getting to check out some of the local highlights was a blast. Meeting and just talking with some of the other SkillsUSA students, teachers, and people from all over the country was truly amazing. I remember being about ten times as nervous at the competition than I was before, but I was equally excited and ready. My partner and I clicked right off the bat and were “in the groove” as soon as it started, but felt really relieved when it was over. The anticipation grew to unprecedented amounts for me as we waited for the closing ceremonies and the winners to be announced. I’d never done anything remotely like this before in my life. It was one of the greatest moments and experiences of my life. And we the won gold!!!

My SkillsUSA experience definitely helped me go from being successful in school to being successful now in workplace. I am now working for Clear Channel Broadcasting in Portland.

Thank you SkillsUSA!