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MUSCLE SHOALS-Northwest Shoals Community College (NWSCC) students proved they are among the best in the nation as Byron Cotoc-Perez, of Florence, and Jessie Teague, of Mount Hope, brought home bronze medals for placing third in the national SkillsUSA Championships in Atlanta last week.
(Pictured Left to Right) MeLinda Grissom, Jessie Teague, Byron Cotoc-Perez and Anthony Jordan pose for a photo following the 2024 national SkillsUSA Championships awards ceremony
Cotoc-Perez competed in Barbering and Teague in Job Skill Demonstration A competitions after winning the Alabama State SkillsUSA competition in Mobile earlier this year.
Competitors in Job Skill Demonstration A must demonstrate a career objective in an occupational area that is included in one of the competition areas of the SkillsUSA Championships. Barbering competitors are judged on their professional portfolio, two haircut/styles, and a creative design.
According to MeLinda Grissom, NWSCC Career and Technical Chairperson and Salon and Spa Instructor, NWSCC Salon and Spa students have attended SkillsUSA competitions for nine years and have won 52 state medals, and eight national medals. This is the first year of SkillsUSA competitions for Barbering students since the program’s inception prior to the 2024 spring semester.
“I believe our Salon and Spa program has established itself as one of the best programs for cultivating passionate and successful students in our career field,” said Grissom. “We have now added the Barbering program and for Mr. (Anthony) Jordan to already have a student place third in the nation is remarkable.”
NWSCC added Barbering as an option under the Salon and Spa Program for the 2024 spring semester. Anthony Jordan serves as the instructor for Barbering. “He is doing a great job growing the program and working with our students,” said Grissom. “It’s obvious that he has owned a successful barber shop for several years. He knows every aspect of the career.”
Five other NWSCC students placed in the in the top 10 at the Alabama SkillsUSA competition including: Mya Smith, third place in Natural Hair; Cheyenne Taylor, second in Cosmetology; Breyon Weakley, top 10 in Barbering; Mario Cruz, second in Barbering; and Caroline Turner, third in Cosmetology.
Barbering and Cosmetology services are available to the community on Thursday and Fridays this summer as part of the live work portion of the program. For more information on the Salon and Spa and Barbering at NWSCC, contact 256-331-5304.
Media Release/Trent Randolph/Director of Public Relations and Marketing NWSCC
