FVTC students take skills to national level

Donaven Phillips says he never expected to compete on a national stage. But that's exactly what will happen at the end of the month when the 55-year-old Appleton man and recent Fox Valley Technical College graduate Corey Meyer travel to Louisville, Kentucky, for the National SkillsUSA competition. Phillips will compete in the power equipment technology division while Meyer will do battle in the motorcycle service technology division. "I've never competed at anything, and to go this far — I'd like to see how much further I can go," Phillips said of the national event, scheduled for June 20-24. Phillips suffered an injury that prevented him from continuing his work at Nestle Pizza Division in Little Chute. He retired early and realized he didn't want to sit around. The Appleton man has always enjoyed fixing machinery as a hobby and figured he could make a second career of it. He decided to get his technical diploma and certification in Outdoor Power Equipment through FVTC. RELATED: FVTC graduates consistently secure jobs RELATED: Tech college helps launch new career Phillips never thought his education would open so many doors, or motivate him in such a powerful way. He enjoyed the experience so much, he took it a step further and is now pursuing an associate's degree. He also works part-time at Badger Sports Park as a go-kart and equipment mechanic. "I decided to go into something I was doing as a hobby. One thing blossomed into the next and I was so intrigued by the new technology," he said. At SkillsUSA, Phillips will compete in the power equipment technology division. SkillsUSA is an organization focused on creating a skilled workforce. It emphasizes citizenship, leadership, employability, technical and professional skills training, according to its website.