Melissa High School’s SkillsUSA chapter has earned the Quality distinction for the 2026-27 year, marking the first time the chapter has received the recognition. The distinction is part of the SkillsUSA Chapter Excellence Program, which recognizes chapters that complete a series of requirements designed to support student leadership, professional development and career readiness. SkillsUSA’s chapter year runs from March through March, giving students the opportunity to work toward these requirements throughout the year.
To earn the distinction, MHS SkillsUSA students and advisors completed requirements that included holding chapter officer elections, maintaining chapter advisor active memberships, conducting regular meetings, developing a budget and calendar, and completing personal, workplace and technical skills development workshops such as the:
Personal Skills Development Workshop, where students created resumes to prepare for district, state and national competitions.
Workplace Skills Development Workshop, where students created a schedule of events to help ensure competitors were prepared and arrived at competitions on time.
Technical Skills Development Workshop, where students participated in collaborative practices for state and national competitions, allowing them to strengthen the skills they use in their CTE programs.
Through SkillsUSA, students have the opportunity to apply the skills they develop in their CTE courses to real-world experiences while building leadership, workplace, personal and technical skills. These experiences help prepare students for success as they enter the workforce and pursue careers in their chosen industries.
MHS SkillsUSA has already begun working toward Level 2: Chapter of Distinction, with a goal of earning Gold Chapter of Distinction, the highest level of recognition within Level 2 of the SkillsUSA Chapter Excellence Program. The chapter will be evaluated using a detailed rubric that measures how effectively it incorporates the SkillsUSA framework and serves students through chapter activities. Chapters that earn Gold Chapter of Distinction are also eligible for consideration for Level 3: Models of Excellence, SkillsUSA’s highest national chapter recognition.
The chapter will be formally recognized for earning Quality Chapter at the SkillsUSA Texas State Leadership and Skills Conference in April in Corpus Christi. Until then, the chapter continues to work toward the Gold Chapter of Distinction and hopes to receive that recognition at the conference as well.
“Being recognized as a SkillsUSA Quality Chapter is a tremendous accomplishment and a reflection of the dedication, leadership, and teamwork demonstrated by our students and advisors,” shared Melissa ISD’s Director of CTE Hallie Venner. “This recognition represents more than a designation—it highlights the meaningful work our students are doing to develop technical skills, leadership abilities, and the confidence to succeed in their future careers. I’m incredibly proud of this team and the way they continue to represent our CTE program and our school community.”
Congratulations to the students and advisors in this program for your commitment to this achievement and to the work that made it possible. The chapter looks forward to continuing to grow the SkillsUSA program and creating opportunities for Melissa students to develop the skills, experience and leadership needed for their futures.