‘Pretty cool’: KC grad wins first place at skills conference in Atlanta | News, Sports, Jobs

PHOTO PROVIDED Sofia Dressler is pictured after receiving her gold medal, placing first in Related Technical Mathematics, at the National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

MILL HALL — Sofia Dressler, a 2024 Central Mountain High School graduate, finished her Keystone Central education on a high note after winning first place in related technical mathematics at the National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

The conference took place the last week of June and saw four KCSD students make the trip south.

Dressler, who won the Pennsylvania state title in April, was ready to show off her skills upon arrival at the conference.

Dressler explained that the Related Technical Mathematics Competition is similar to a math test covering a range of topics from Algebra 1 to Trigonometry.

“The topics covered are anything related to a trade,” she explained. “Some are about electricity, mechanical engineering or even general labor rates.”

Dressler was a member of the CTC’s drawing and design class taught by Fred Hoy.

Reflecting on her time on the NLSC, Dressler said she found the national test less intimidating than the state one.

“The state test was probably harder than the national tests. It just depends on who’s taking them. They can vary by district, state and national level,” she said. “It’s kind of fun because you don’t know what you’re going to get.”

Dressler didn’t plan on ending her week at the NLSC on stage with a gold medal, but she said it was pretty cool. Overall, Dressler beat out 37 other students from the United States and its territories.

“It was pretty cool. I had no expectations about whether I was going to win or not. I wanted to go, but I wasn’t going to beat myself up too much if I didn’t,” she said. “The experiences at Skills National are so great that I wasn’t going to let the result ruin my time there.”

Dressler said he met a multitude of people from different fields and backgrounds, noting that it was a fun experience to do.

“I made friends with one of the kids who won the T-shirt design contest for Pennsylvania. And I talked to a guy on the bus who does photography and heard about his methods,” she said. “You just get to talk to people who have different experiences and still like the same things.”

A fun part of the week was attempting to collect a variety of state pins.

Dressler explained that each participant receives pins designed specifically for their home state.

“Everybody has a state badge and it’s a great conversation starter. Everyone really gets into it,” she said. “You get a souvenir from another state.”

In total, Dressler said he collected 20 pins, including a few from industries that had submitted their programs to the competition.

Before her national title, Dressler said she competed in SkillsUSA during her sophomore year, taking second place at the state level in the same category.

It’s no surprise that Dressler was able to clinch first place at the NLSC.

Before graduating from CMHS, she was already taking mathematics courses at Commonwealth University-Lock Haven and worked from Calculus 3 to Number Theory.

“I think it’s fun because it’s like a puzzle,” she said. “You can be good at math and not at arithmetic because of the idea aspect, which is the connection between ideas and concepts.”

Currently, Dressler attends the University of Notre Dame but has not yet decided on a major.

“I haven’t decided what major to choose yet, but I’m going to go for general engineering,” she said. “I’m thinking about either a double major with math or at least a minor.”

Dressler encourages CMHS and KCSD students to consider taking CTC courses.

“There are 115 competitions (at NLSC). You have topics ranging from welding to computer programming, from technical mathematics to cosmetology and nail care,” she said. “It’s a great way to showcase your skills and meet people who do what you do and people from different backgrounds.”

SkillsUSA is the #1 workforce development organization for students, equipping students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders, and responsible members of the community.

SkillsUSA represents nearly 400,000 career and technical education students and teachers. SkillsUSA chapters thrive in middle schools, high schools, and colleges/postsecondary institutions across the country.