A local teenager brought home a gold medal for her firefighting skills at a state competition.
Jessica Shannon, 17, won first place at the state SkillsUSA Championship and will compete at the national level in June.
“I thought it (the competition) would be something really fun to do. I was kind of shocked — I was amazed at myself,” Shannon said.
Shannon beat seven classmates from Technology Campus, according to firefighting instructor Craig Richardson, retired Libertyville fire fighter.
Richardson described Shannon as a quiet and smart student.
“She’s a hard worker. She definitely could be a very good firefighter,” Richardson said.
He and two other instructors named Shannon the student of the year for her work. That’s why he was not surprised when she took first place in the state competition, Richardson said.
There were 33 firefighting contestants across the state, according to Donald Bauc, Illinois Association of SkillsUSA executive director.
The 34 contestants earned the right to participate in the state competition in February when they were among 81 students taking a written qualifying exam, Bauc said.
“The number of our firefighting competitors has increased each year,” he said.
Students competed in a total of 87 categories at the state SkillsUSA competition held in April. Shannon was recognized Tuesday for her firefighting category win at an awards ceremony at the College of Lake County in Grayslake.
The state competition is part of the national SkillsUSA effort to ensure The U.S. has a skilled workforce through the cooperation of teachers, students and industry leaders.
Shannon competes in the national SkillsUSA competition June 25 in Kansas City, Bauc said.
“We’re one of the original states to hold firefighting. We’ve held it for over 20 years,” Bauc said, noting the category has been at nationals for about six years.
“The overall goal is to show off those particular skills of those interested in firefighting as a career. We showcase skills and we give them recognition. There aren’t many places where they can get recognition like this,” he said.
Shannon said she demonstrated her abilities like hooking hoses up to fire hydrants, loading hoses onto the fire truck, donning firefighter gear in a certain amount of time and tying knots. She has learned these skills at her firefighting classes at the Lake County High School Technology Campus in Grayslake.
Shannon said she also spent extra time at the gym in preparation for the state championships.
She said she wants to be a firefighter after she graduates. She originally considered becoming a paramedic, but the hands-on curriculum at the Technology Campus changed her mind.
“(Firefighting) fits with who I am as a person. I love helping people — that’s what I want to do for the rest of my life,” Shannon said.
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