Amarillo College’s students and dual-credit students both competed in a state-wide contest at SkillsUSA Texas earlier this month in Corpus Christi. Together the group earned three first place finishes and those students qualified to compete in the national SkillsUSA competitions.“This was the first year that secondary and post-secondary students competed at the same location at the same time,” said Ernie Sheets, AC’s Manufacturing Education Center (MEC) department chair. “I feel this enhanced the experience for all post-secondary students in attendance. High school students are now able to see colleges competing which in turn developed a vision for continued education pathways.”

The first students to complete the Construction Technology Program that Ernie Sheets launched a couple years ago at Amarillo College will cross the stage at Spring Commencement, and their mentor’s emotions will be running high.

“Sometimes I get a little teary-eyed just thinking about it,” said Sheets, who at AC coordinates construction technology and additionally serves as chairman for all the manufacturing programs. “Those students have become things they didn’t realize they could be,” – carpenters, cabinet makers, a plumber, and more.

The Amarillo College Construction Technology Program is pleased to announce that one of its talented students, Jacques Rukundo, has received a $2,000 academic scholarship from the Texas Builders Foundation.

Rukundo, who is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, is in his second year as a construction technology major at AC. Married and the father of five children, he will receive the monetary award in two increments – $1,000 for the fall 2023 semester, and $1,000 for the spring 2024 semester.