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PITTSBURG —
Tori Bastion didn’t even want to enter her photography in the SkillsUSA competition, but now she’s gearing up to go to the 48th annual National Leadership and Skills Conference, scheduled June 23-27 in Kansas City.
Bastion joined SkillsUSA as a freshman at Pittsburg High School. The organization is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure that America has a skilled workforce.
From the start, Robert Boyer, drafting/graphics teacher and SkillsUSA advisor, urged Bastion, who has won numerous photography honors in 4-H, to enter her work in the SkillsUSA competition.
“When I was in Mr. Boyer’s class, he said, ‘We don’t have any photography competitors, so it would be good for you to enter’,” Bastion said. “I was bound and determined I was not going to compete.”
On the Tuesday before the Friday competition, she finally decided that she would enter. However, she didn’t think she’d do very well.
“I’ve never been real big on portrait photography, and it was a big part of the competition,” Bastion said. “Then Mr. Boyer came to my art class and said, ‘You got third’.”
Her adviser was probably more surprised than she was.
“I have discussed this with other SkillsUSA advisers, and a freshman medaling in SkillsUSA, which is very competitive in nature, is almost unheard of,” Boyer said in an email. “Most students do not possess the skills needed to even compete, let alone medal. This young lady is quite unique.”
In her sophomore year, Bastion placed second. She got a silver medal and a phone call asking if she wanted to attend the national competition.
“They said that the No. 1 person couldn’t go, and they wanted me to go anyway,” she said.
So she went, and was impressed.
“It was in the Power and Light District of Kansas City, and the entire competition was on the second floor of this huge building — wiring, electric, cosmetology, all of it,” Bastion said. “Off in a little corner was the photography box.”
She competed at the state level again this year, her junior year, and this time won the gold medal, which means she’s going back to Kansas City and the nationals.
Bastion recently transferred to Northeast High School, but, since she had joined SkillsUSA at PHS and Northeast does not have a chapter, she is still allowed to compete.
“The school she attends is not as important as her accomplishments,” Boyer said.
Her high school career is nearly over anyway, since the intellectually gifted student has accumulated nearly all the necessary credits.
“The counselor has advised me that I might as well graduate,” Bastion said. “I’ll go to Pittsburg State University in the fall.”
She said that she plans to major in pre-veterinary medicine and minor in photography.
“I definitely want to be in the biology spectrum of something,” Bastion said.
Tori Bastion didn’t even want to enter her photography in the SkillsUSA competition, but now she’s gearing up to go to the 48th annual National Leadership and Skills Conference, scheduled June 23-27 in Kansas City.
Bastion joined SkillsUSA as a freshman at Pittsburg High School. The organization is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure that America has a skilled workforce.
From the start, Robert Boyer, drafting/graphics teacher and SkillsUSA advisor, urged Bastion, who has won numerous photography honors in 4-H, to enter her work in the SkillsUSA competition.
“When I was in Mr. Boyer’s class, he said, ‘We don’t have any photography competitors, so it would be good for you to enter’,” Bastion said. “I was bound and determined I was not going to compete.”
On the Tuesday before the Friday competition, she finally decided that she would enter. However, she didn’t think she’d do very well.
“I’ve never been real big on portrait photography, and it was a big part of the competition,” Bastion said. “Then Mr. Boyer came to my art class and said, ‘You got third’.”
Her adviser was probably more surprised than she was.
“I have discussed this with other SkillsUSA advisers, and a freshman medaling in SkillsUSA, which is very competitive in nature, is almost unheard of,” Boyer said in an email. “Most students do not possess the skills needed to even compete, let alone medal. This young lady is quite unique.”
In her sophomore year, Bastion placed second. She got a silver medal and a phone call asking if she wanted to attend the national competition.
“They said that the No. 1 person couldn’t go, and they wanted me to go anyway,” she said.
So she went, and was impressed.
“It was in the Power and Light District of Kansas City, and the entire competition was on the second floor of this huge building — wiring, electric, cosmetology, all of it,” Bastion said. “Off in a little corner was the photography box.”
She competed at the state level again this year, her junior year, and this time won the gold medal, which means she’s going back to Kansas City and the nationals.
Bastion recently transferred to Northeast High School, but, since she had joined SkillsUSA at PHS and Northeast does not have a chapter, she is still allowed to compete.
“The school she attends is not as important as her accomplishments,” Boyer said.
Her high school career is nearly over anyway, since the intellectually gifted student has accumulated nearly all the necessary credits.
“The counselor has advised me that I might as well graduate,” Bastion said. “I’ll go to Pittsburg State University in the fall.”
She said that she plans to major in pre-veterinary medicine and minor in photography.
“I definitely want to be in the biology spectrum of something,” Bastion said.
