NWSCC Barbering student wins gold medal at SkillsUSA National Championships

MUSCLE SHOALS– Northwest Shoals Community College (NWSCC) students proved they are among the nation’s elite as Byron Cotoc-Perez, of Florence, won the gold medal and Olivia Hill, of Savannah, Tenn., placed fourth in the national SkillsUSA Championships in Atlanta.

Cotoc-Perez competed in Barbering and Hill in Cosmetology competitions after winning the Alabama State SkillsUSA

competition in Mobile earlier this year.

Barbering competitors are judged on skill performance tasks including haircutting, hair styling, hair color, and beard design and coloring. Competitors in Cosmetology demonstrate their skills in hair color, haircutting, hair styling, and long hair design in separate assessments.

“We are incredibly proud of our students for their outstanding performance at the national SkillsUSA Championships,” said NWSCC Executive Director of Career and Technical Education MeLinda Grissom. “Our students are not new to the national stage. They are among the top in their respective field each year. Our Salon and Spa students have some great instructors that do a great job refining their students’ skills to be successful in SkillsUSA but more importantly, in their careers.”

In just the second year of the Barbering program at NWSCC, Perez is a national champion. According to Perez, he had a good idea of what to expect after placing third in the national SkillsUSA Championships in 2024. “Last year, I was pretty nervous competing against the best in the nation,” said Perez. “This year, I was a lot more confident and focused on what I needed to do. Knowing what to expect, really helped me relax and showcase my skills.”

Three other NWSCC students placed in the in the top five at the Alabama SkillsUSA competition including: Jose Perez, of Haleyville, Technical Drafting – 3rd Place; Lela Hall, of Lexington, Cosmetology – 3rd place; Davis Watkins, of Florence, Nail Care – 3rd place.

Barbering and Cosmetology services are available to the community on Thursdays 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 or 256-331-5265.

Media Release/Trent Randolph/Director of Public Relations and Marketing NWSCC